Yorkshire were in buoyant mood today for their Benson and Hedges Cup match against Derbyshire at Headingley which marked the opening of their home season.

Confidence was high after a tense four-wicket triumph with just two balls to spare against Kent at Canterbury on Saturday had got their Championship campaign off to the perfect start.

But the victory was gained at no small cost because Matthew Hoggard broke down with a back injury on the first morning and on the final day substitute Richard Dawson fractured a finger while fielding and could be out for about a month.

Remarkably, the same thing happened to fellow off-spinner James Middlebrook two seasons ago when he broke a bone in his hand in the first match while substituting for Richard Harden.

Hoggard was having a scan today to determine the extent of his back injury and his absence meant a first team debut for 20-year-old paceman Tom Baker who learned his cricket at Bradford League club Spen Victoria alongside Chris Elstub, another of Yorkshire's promising young seamers.

Yorkshire were waiting until just before the start to see if all-rounder Gavin Hamilton had recovered from the hamstring tweak which caused him to miss the Kent match.

Hamilton was due to go in first in his new role as one-day opener but Simon Widdup was standing by to replace him if necessary.

With injury worries affecting Hoggard and Hamilton, plus Paul Hutchison's absence while he works on his match fitness, Yorkshire could have done without England's directive that Darren Gough and Craig White should rest up until Yorkshire's Benson and Hedges Roses' clash at Liverpool next Sunday.

Ironically, England boss Duncan Fletcher allowed White to play for Scarborough in the Yorkshire League on Saturday because bad weather has left the player short of net practice.

Yorkshire fans will consider it bizarre that White and Gough were given the green light to play league cricket over the weekend if they wished but have been refused permission to turn out in three B&H matches this week.

Yorkshire (v Derbyshire) from: Vaughan, Hamilton, McGrath, Lehmann, Byas, Lumb, Fellows, Blakey, Silverwood, Sidebottom, Baker, Widdup.

Updated: 12:30 Monday, April 30, 2001