I'M gutted. I've no chance of being considered for the last two Test matches.

My back is sore, very sore, and I won't be able to bowl in the Roses match today.

My back has been troubling me for a while now but I was raring to go against Lancashire.

I went well in the nets and there was not a peep out of my back so I was ready for Old Trafford.

But when I started bowling out there it did not feel right and I had to come off near the end.

I'm going to Leeds General Infirmary next week for a bone scan to get to the root of the problem.

I can't see me playing for Yorkshire for a while and that means I won't have played enough cricket to be considered by England.

I've already spoken to David Graveney (the chairman of selectors) so that's it for me as far as this summer's Tests are concerned.

My aim now is to try to get fit for the last two Championship games.

Hopefully, the boys will have got the title wrapped up by then.

Bad back, or no bad back, I bowled like a drain yesterday. I had not bowled in a Championship match for five weeks and it showed.

But it is a very flat wicket - I think it is the one they used for the Test match - and it did not seam at all.

After we enforced the follow on it was clear my back had gone but I said I would bowl last night to see if I could get a wicket or two. I managed one but I'll not be out there today.

After our big first innings score we had plenty of runs to play with so it was a question of buying a few wickets as the 'Lancy' lads were trying to hit out.

Craig White's innings was superb, an absolutely brilliant knock. It has given us the platform to push for victory.

Even though there was so much rain about the country yesterday we managed to get in a full day's play.

I said to David Byas at breakfast 'We might just get a lucky break with the weather today'. Amazingly we did and it has given us a great chance to stretching our lead at the top.

Although it has been a disaster for me, it has been a great few weeks for the Yorkshire team. I just hope that I'll be able to be a part of it.

Had I been fully fit I think I would have been in with a shout of playing against Australia at Headingley next week.

I think the selectors will go for four seamers and I reckon Somerset's Richard Johnson will get his chance. He's been knocking on the door for a few years now.

I also reckon Kent's David Fulton may get the nod.

He's scored an awful lot of runs this year and that's the department in which we have not done well against this top-notch Aussie side.