WORK on the second phase of the £10million redevelopment of Headingley's cricket ground will begin on Monday - and Yorkshire are confident it will be completed on time, despite a ten- week delay in getting it started.

Bulldozers have begun demolishing the terrace in front of the bowling green in readiness for the building of a members' long room and 36 executive boxes.

Work was due to begin immediately

after the Headingley Test match last August but the hold-up occurred while Yorkshire finalised details with a different contractor to the one which had built the new West Stand which was officially opened on the eve of the Test.

It is believed that the West Stand eventually cost more than the anticipated £4m, due mainly to enhanced specifications.

"In an ideal world we would like to have got started earlier but we are still on course for completion by next summer's Test match between England and India in August," said Yorkshire chairman Keith Moss.

The stand will also be operational - but work not entirely completed - in time for the one-day international between England and Sri Lanka at Headingley on July 2.

Yorkshire members faced massive disruption last summer during the building of the West Stand and they will now have to wait until late into next season before they can enjoy all of the new facilities. Moss said that work on the new indoor school was going ahead on schedule and should be completed by mid-March.

Meanwhile, Yorkshire and England all-rounder Craig White was today having a final fitness test on his knee following surgery. If he comes through it without any problems he will join his England colleagues when they begin their tour of India next week.

Yorkshire's cricket committee will decide tomorrow who to recommend to take over from David Byas next season as captain. It is an open secret that Australian Darren Lehmann will be an automatic choice for the job.

Updated: 11:53 Wednesday, November 07, 2001