YORKSHIRE have dropped overseas batsman Yuvraj Singh from the Championship match against Gloucestershire which begins at Cheltenham on Wednesday and replaced him with Gavin Hamilton.

It is the only time that Yorkshire have axed an overseas player since Sachin Tendulkar became the first to be signed by the county in 1992.

Yuvraj has had a wretched time since joining Yorkshire in mid-May as replacement for Australian Matthew Elliott and in ten Championship innings the Indian has managed only 127 runs, 56 of which came in an innings against Durham at Headingley.

Five of Yuvraj's last six visits to the crease have resulted in single figure dismissals and Yorkshire now feel the time has come to try to plug the gap which his disappointing form has created.

Hamilton has still not got over the psychological problems which are preventing him from bowling but he has scored sufficient runs to win back his place solely as a batsman.

In Yorkshire's three-day game against Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence at Park Avenue early last month, Hamilton blasted an unbeaten 143 in his first senior appearance of the season and in Yorkshire Seconds match with Derbyshire Seconds at Chesterfield last week he opened the innings and blazed his way to 219 not out.

With Ryan Sidebottom still suffering from a sprained ankle, Pieter Swanepoel is included in the squad of 12, as is Richard Dawson in case Yorkshire decide to go into the game with two spinners.

Yorkshire (v Gloucestershire) from: Wood, Fleming, Craven, Lumb, Hamilton, White, Guy, Gray, Silverwood, Kirby, Swanepoel, Dawson.

Updated: 11:10 Tuesday, July 29, 2003