ONE of the first jobs Yorkshire need to do at the end of the season is to scour the world for a top class fast bowler.

The lack of a paceman with the killer touch is to a large part responsible for Yorkshire's slump in fortunes this month after going through the whole of June without losing a match.

It was certainly a factor at Scarbrough last week when none of Yorkshire's 'quicks' could apply the brake on Somerset who scored their runs very rapidly and went on to win by ten wickets before lunch on the third day.

Yorkshire left North Marine Road knowing that up to then, at least, none of their fast bowlers this season had performed with any distinction regularly in the Championship.

In the nine matches up to this week's game with Derbyshire, not one of them had managed four wickets in an innings, let alone five.

Chris Silverwood, now out again with a foot injury, had on four occasions claimed three wickets to give him 22 dismissals. Steve Kirby had taken only three wickets once, to stand on 16 victims.

Ian Harvey, who was expected to play a leading role with the ball, had bowled in seven innings in the Championship without getting more than one wicket in any innings, although his chance to improve was held back by a torn hamstring which sidelined him for a couple of months.

John Blain took 13 rather expensive wickets in four Championship matches before suffering a calf strain, while young Tim Bresnan has been steady but never spectacular in claiming nine wickets in five outings.

Matthew Hoggard has played in only two matches - and that is probably it for the season - but his four wickets at 43.5 runs apiece is nothing to shout home about.

The greatest worry is the lack of consistency from both the main pair of strike bowlers, Silverwood and Kirby. Both seem to have gone off the boil together and neither has looked really menacing with the new ball.

Director of cricket David Byas is aware of the shortcomings of his attack, which he admits is taking too few wickets and leaking too many runs.

Next summer, Australia will be here for the Ashes series, which means that Darren Lehmann is almost certain to be missing from Yorkshire's line-up and very probably Harvey as well, even if required.

Yorkshire will almost definitely want to re-engage their 'third' Australian, Phil Jaques, who has given such sterling service while standing in for either Lehmann or Harvey and will be adding to his 1,000-plus runs in all competitions when he returns in about a month.

But their current situation seems to demand that they also need an out-and-out fast bowler of international repute.

It is difficult to name names at this stage because one is never sure who will be available, but Yorkshire should make it their top priority to start looking in October and find out.

Ironically, Yorkshire wanted a genuine fast bowler when they made their first overseas signing in 1992 and Australian pace ace Craig McDermott was all signed up to come to Headingley before going down with a serious knee injury.

Yorkshire did not replace like for like, bringing in Sachin Tendulkar instead, and since then for one reason or another they have always opted for the batting option.

Of more immediate concern for Byas is to get his current crop of bowlers back to something near decent form.

Bresnan is going to have to be given another regular run after being rested from the Somerset match, and Sheriff Hutton-based Nick Thornicroft should also be in serious contention for a place.

Thornicroft has taken six wickets in his two Championship matches to date and he bowled really well against Durham at Riverside when Yorkshire won by 320 runs.

Updated: 09:56 Saturday, July 31, 2004