ANDY Caddick's absence from Somerset's side in the Championship match, which began at North Marine Road today, should make it easier for Yorkshire to reverse recent poor form and renew their claims as genuine title contenders.

With Caddick away with England and fast bowling colleague Matt Bulbeck out of action after a serious back operation, Somerset should not be able to match Yorkshire's firepower on a North Marine Road pitch which is seamer-friendly.

Yorkshire were missing Darren Gough and Craig White, of course, plus a third fast bowler in the injured Gavin Hamilton, but they still had sufficient resources to put out a formidable pace attack in Matthew Hoggard, Chris Silverwood, Ryan Sidebottom and Paul Hutchison.

Sidebottom is the man in form at the moment and a bag of 22 wickets in the last four matches has shot him to the top of the national averages in Championship cricket, his 24 victims in total having been claimed at just 12 runs apiece.

Yorkshire's biggest worry is the form of all their batsmen, except Michael Vaughan and Darren Lehmann, and skipper David Byas is hoping his new-look line-up will bring results.

"Something had to be done about the middle order collapses but I am as much to blame as anyone for not getting the volume of runs," said Byas, who drops down from opener to No 5.

"We have had better starts than for two or three years but once one wicket goes down two or three quickly follow."

Simon Widdup, making his first home appearance after a Championship debut in the Roses match at Old Trafford, has been entrusted to open the batting with Vaughan and it is likely that he will now be given an extended run in the side.

Yorkshire were out to avenge both the six-wicket defeat they suffered at Taunton early last season and the 197-run caning they got at Scarborough when Somerset last played there four years' ago.

On that occasion, Caddick was unfortunate to claim only five wickets in the match because he stood head and shoulders above everyone else and bowled superbly in both innings.

Today's cricket

PPP healthcare County Championship

Division One (day 1 of 4), Portsmouth: Hampshire v Kent; Old Trafford: Lancashire v Durham; Guildford: Surrey v Leicestershire; Scarborough: Yorkshire v Somerset.

Division Two, Chelmsford: Essex v Worcestershire; Cardiff: Glamorgan v Northants; Cheltenham: Gloucestershire v Warwickshire; Hove: Sussex v Nottinghamshire.

Tour match (day 2 of 4), The Parks: MCC 341-8 v New Zealand A