An unexpected opportunity has arisen for Ismail Dawood to establish himself as Yorkshire's regular wicket-keeper and he is determined to seize the chance with both hands - or, rather, both gloves.

Dawood knows that he must maintain high standards behind the stumps and also score plenty of runs if his dream of a first-class career with Yorkshire is to be fulfilled, because a similar situation to his present one is unlikely to occur again.

The one thing which Dewsbury-born Dawood does not lack is experience. He has gained plenty of that in three separate spells with county clubs after graduating from the Yorkshire Academy at Bradford Park Avenue.

He had a season with Northamptonshire in 1994, then two summers with Worcestershire in 1996-97, after which he spent the following two years with Glamorgan.

In addition, he captained Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Cricketing Excellence last year and has played for them this season. Over the same period he turned out for Minor Counties outfit Herefordshire.

Taking into account, also, his Bradford League involvement with Hanging Heaton and now Cleckheaton it can be seen he is pretty worldly wise when it comes to cricket.

It was the generally disappointing form of Simon Guy in the first half of Yorkshire's season that persuaded director of cricket David Byas to take a closer look at Dawood.

After a few appearances in the Second XI he made his first-team debut for Yorkshire Phoenix against Derbyshire Scorpions in the Twenty20 Cup at Derby.

Dawood was delighted to be representing his native county, but not overawed. He already had a record of playing in 18 first class matches, 14 National League games and 11 NatWest Trophy and Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy matches.

The highlight of his career so far is his 102 for Glamorgan against Gloucestershire at Cardiff in 1999, when he put on 211 for the second wicket with Adrian Dale. He has also featured in two century partnerships for Herts in the C&G Trophy.

Behind the stumps, Dawood had taken 47 first-class catches and made three stumpings by the time he joined Yorkshire, plus 11 and three in the C&G and 13 and three in the Sunday League.

Dawood has settled into his new role and quickly become one of the team.

"I have felt very comfortable out there," he said. "They are a great set of lads and they have made me feel very welcome.

"I just want to get in there and stake my claim to a regular place.

"The wicketkeeper-batsman position is one which Yorkshire have been looking at for some time and I think it was my previous first-class experience and my consistency that led to me being given a chance.

"There are lots of Asian cricketers within Yorkshire and they all want to go on to play for the county club. If I do well I can be a role model and it could help others to follow me."

Dawood is the only current home-grown cricketer to have been associated with four counties. But why has he never really settled anywhere?

"I think I lost patience with the game and that was my fault," he confessed.

"I thought playing cricket day-in and day-out was repetitive, but once I was out of the first-class game I began to understand what I really wanted to do was to play alongside the professionals.

"Now I really know what I want and that is to play for Yorkshire, particularly in championship cricket.

"This is the 'proper' game, the sort that true cricket-watchers really enjoy, although one-day cricket is also the way forward.

"I am much more receptive to learning than I used to be and Richard Blakey has given me lots of good advice in the second team. David Byas is firm but fair and that is what Yorkshire needs.

"He told me to go out there and express myself and that is what I intend to do."

Updated: 10:33 Saturday, July 10, 2004