Yorkshire have been a ship without a captain as they have set sail towards the new season and their defence of the County Championship title.

With coach Wayne Clark at the helm since their pre-season tour of Grenada, they have not been entirely rudderless, but all aboard have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of new skipper Darren Lehmann who finally joined the crew yesterday.

It would have been better all round if Lehmann had been available to build up spirits from the start of the month but Yorkshire are only too relieved that he has made it in time for the Championship opener against Surrey next week rather than three weeks into the season - as would have been the case if Australia's tour of Zimbabwe had gone ahead.

Clark is happy with Yorkshire's preparations but he admitted that he was very pleased when he heard the news that Lehmann's arrival would not be delayed well into May.

"I think he will lift the players and get a lot out of them because they have so much respect for his own ability," said Clark.

"We get on very well together and we both have a very competitive and positive approach."

With David Byas last year announcing his retirement soon after leading the Tykes to the Championship - and then causing an even bigger stir by joining Lancashire - the Aussie influence at Yorkshire is now greater than ever with Lehmann and Clark calling most of the shots between them.

Whenever Lehmann gets called away by Australia this summer, fellow countryman and former Durham left-hander Simon Katich will be available to stand in his shoes, while off-spinner Andy Gray, another from 'down under', is already not far from being a permanent fixture in the side.

Yorkshire are certain to be worth watching under Lehmann's command and he won't allow the grass to grow under their feet but whether he can hold the side together as well as Byas managed to do remains to be seen.

Tactically, Byas may not have been the greatest captain Yorkshire ever had and it is because Clark and others felt this to be the case that the Kilham farmer was gently shown the door.

But Byas's big strength was in his determination for the side to succeed and the discipline which he imposed both on the field and off it. His bluntness did not always make him popular, particularly with those he thought were swinging the lead, but his team were always focussed.

Lehmann will undoubtedly be adventurous and inspirational but he will also have to be tough and it may be that he will need to take a step back from being one of the boys, something which will not be easy for such an outgoing character.

It will be a major triumph both for himself and the team if he can help them retain the County Championship but the odds on success in the one-day arena should be better than under the Byas regime.

The brilliance which Lehmann showed last summer in smashing 1416 Championship runs at an average of 83.29 did not diminish during the winter when he was welcomed back into Australia's ranks and Yorkshire need his runs so much that he cannot afford to go through a lean spell.

It is asking a lot to maintain such levels of consistency but Lehmann will be spurred on by knowing that the more runs he scores the more chance he has of figuring in Australia's World Cup campaign in South Africa next February.

Matthew Wood resurrected his career last season by topping 1,000 Championship runs for the first time and he is looking to do at least as well in 2002 while Michael Lumb is favourite to take over Byas's spot.

Clark has already accepted that Yorkshire will see little of Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard as spring turns into summer but beneficiary Craig White may more often be available now that he has lost his central contract with England.

White in prime form is just the sort of powerful all-rounder which every county needs, particularly in one-day cricket these days, but Gavin Hamilton and Gary Fellows have dual roles to play.

Even without Gough and Hoggard, Yorkshire still have reserves of fast bowling which are the envy of all other counties but they have lost some of their back-up with the release of Paul Hutchison who has joined Sussex. It places extra responsibility on Ryan Sidebottom.

All in all it is going to be a fascinating season, but Lehmann needs to be just as solid a rock as Byas to stop Yorkshire from straying on to shifting sands.

Updated: 11:52 Saturday, April 20, 2002