Yorkshire decided against wholesale changes for today's final Championship match of the season against Kent at Headingley which they need to win to be sure of getting off the bottom of the table.

They were selecting from the same 12 which went to Edgbaston last week but this time opener Scott Richardson was expected to make it into the side for the first time since the opening game of the season.

Although coach Wayne Clark would have liked to try out one or two of the younger players, the importance of the match has persuaded him to field as strong a side as possible, particularly as Chris Silverwood is out injured and Ryan Sidebottom continues to struggle with a groin strain.

The game is of double significance to captain Richard Blakey who would love to lead Yorkshire to their only win of the season at Headingley and at the same time score the 55 runs he needs to complete 1,000 first-class runs.

It will be a remarkable achievement if he manages it because all his runs have come batting at number seven.

He is in the right sort of form to do it, however, his last three innings bringing him scores of 63 not out, 70 and 103.

Blakey has four times made it to the 1,000 mark, the first occasion being in 1987 and the last in 1994. If he manages it again few current county players will have reached the milestone over a period of 16 seasons.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire have announced they are releasing four members of their junior staff, including pace bowler Chris Elstub (21) who has played in five first-class games since making his first team debut two years' ago, taking nine wickets.

Elstub, who this year captained the Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence side, featured in eight Norwich Union League games and enjoyed a best return of four for 25 against Surrey at Headingley last season.

The three others are all-rounders John Sadler (20) and Alex Stead (22), who both went on Yorkshire's pre-season tour of Grenada this year, and left-arm spinner Chris Brice.

Yorkshire (v Kent) from: Richardson, Craven, Elliott, McGrath, White, Lumb, Fellows, Blakey, Dawson, Sidebottom, Kirby, Thornicroft.

Updated: 12:18 Wednesday, September 18, 2002