YORKSHIRE, hauled over the coals for dropping five catches and letting Hampshire off the hook last week, are looking to tighten up their game in the return Championship encounter with Nottinghamshire which starts at Headingley tomorrow.

Although director of cricket David Byas acknowledged that Hampshire were the better team and deserved their 119 run win, he was unhappy that Yorkshire allowed their opponents to recover to 322 from 115-5 in the first innings after being put in to bat on a pitch which offered the seam bowlers plenty of assistance.

Fluffed catches helped the Hampshire fightback and, as Byas observed, it is hard to put down five chances against a good side and still come out on top.

Yorkshire also did not get the best out of Matthew Hoggard, who had match figures of 1-124, but now he is back with England and Tim Bresnan and Nick Thornicroft are likely to fight it out to replace him, provided that Chris Silverwood has recovered from a slight ankle injury.

Silverwood was rested from Sunday's totesport League clash with Sussex as a precaution and it is important that he plays because with Steve Kirby still on the injury list he is the only capped specialist seam bowler Yorkshire have available.

Kirby is still not considered fully fit following an injection in his back and he will play a second consecutive match for the Second XI who visit Beckenham tomorrow for a three-day friendly against a combined Kent and Middlesex Second XI.

Yorkshire are hoping that new overseas signing Phil Jaques can continue the excellent run of form he has shown since joining Yorkshire just over a week ago.

On his Championship debut against Hampshire, Jaques scored 31 and 78 and then in his first totesport League game he sank his teeth into Sussex Sharks with a dazzling 105 to record Yorkshire's first century of the season in any competition.

The first thing the Australian left-hander did after the match was to ring home and pass on the news of his involvement in Phoenix's victory to his Yorkshire-born dad, Stuart.

"He was just as delighted as I was that we had won and that I had played my part," said Jaques.

"I wanted to start off my time with Yorkshire with a bang and I have managed to do so. Now I just want the runs to keep on flowing until Darren Lehmann comes back and I return home.

"The more runs I score the better because next year I would love a full season of Championship cricket and I would like to be with Yorkshire again if they want me."

YORKSHIRE from: White, Wood, McGrath, Jaques, Lumb, Harvey, Guy, Dawson, Silverwood, Blain, Bresnan, Thornicroft.

Updated: 10:59 Tuesday, May 18, 2004