Richard Dawson was the surprise choice to take over the Yorkshire captaincy at Cheltenham today after Matthew Wood had temporarily returned home to attend a family funeral.

Dawson has not held a regular place in the side this season and it may have been reasonably assumed that New Zealand captain, Stephen Fleming, would take over the reins, but Yorkshire coach Kevin Sharp said: "Everyone in the side is aware that Dawson has an outstanding cricket brain and is very much a part of the club's future.

"He has the valuable experience of playing in seven Test matches for England and coach, Duncan Fletcher, wrote to us after last winter's Ashes series and commented on how impressed he was with his tactical awareness.

"We could have asked the New Zealand Board for permission for Fleming to lead us in Wood's absence but Fleming himself was very much in favour of Dawson doing the job."

After yesterday's poor weather had taken a further 60 overs out of the match, making 153 overs lost in all, Gloucestershire resumed today on 201-6 with Jack Russell on 17 and former Yorkshire left-armer Ian Fisher on ten.

Fisher helped himself to a couple of early boundaries off Steven Kirby but it was not long before the red-haired paceman was celebrating Yorkshire Day with his 40th Championship wicket of the season.

He beat Fisher off the pitch and the left-hander edged a chest high catch to Fleming at first slip, making Gloucestershire 214-7.

It was also Kirby's fourth wicket of the innings but he was punished by Russell who turned him to the square leg boundary before Martyn Ball took a couple of fours off Chris Silverwood with a cover drive and an edge which just cleared the heads of the slip fielders.

When Silverwood pitched too short, Ball pulled him over square leg for six but the wretched weather was closing in again and light rain stopped play at 250-7 with Gloucestershire just having gained a second batting bonus point.

Russell was still there with a typically tenacious 29 off 36 overs and Ball had hurried on to 18.

Yorkshire found themselves on the receiving end of a fierce assault from Matt Windows yesterday when Gloucestershire made every effort to make up for lost time.

Driving strongly through the covers, Windows rattled up 73 off 104 balls with 13 fours and a six before becoming one of two victims in an over for Kirby whose double strike helped apply the brake on Gloucestershire who were 201-6 at the close.

Chris Silverwood and Kirby continued their opening spells but neither bowled the right length and Tim Hancock and Windows raced the score along with some punishing strokes through the covers.

With three overs remaining bad light ended play at 201-6, a total of 60 overs being lost in the day and 153 in the first half of the match.

Updated: 14:34 Friday, August 01, 2003