England's team for the 100th Test being played at Lord's contains no fewer than four Yorkshire stars, but the county's Under 15s cricketers were able to top even that fine achievement.

They have got five players in the final England squad of 14 for the Under-15s World Cricket Challenge 2000, which is being sponsored by Dunnington-based supermarket chain Costcutter, and which will be fought out between July 29 and August 10 with the grand final at Lord's.

That number could even be six if you include James Beaumont from Stockton-on-Tees whose father, grandfather and cousin have all played in Division A of the North Yorkshire and South Durham League.

This talented bunch of young Yorkies turned up at Headingley this week to have a look at the Costcutter trophy which they will be competing for against holders India, Pakistan, South Africa, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Holland.

Michael Vaughan, making his last-minute preparations before travelling to Lord's, was on hand for words of encouragement, and Matthew Hoggard was also buzzing around the ground trying to scrounge extra baggage for his first call-up into the England ranks.

With Darren Gough and Craig White also in the Test squad, the Under-15s lads could not have wished for a greater incentive for making it to the top.

Seven Yorkshire schoolboys were in the original squad of 21 which has now been whittled down by a third, and Yorkshire cricket development manager Steve Oldham said there was strength in all departments with spin bowlers also playing an important role.

Two of the bowlers England will be expecting much of in their contrasting styles are off-spinner Dan Broadbent, formerly of Calverley and now with Pickering in the Costcutter York Senior League, and 6ft 5in speed merchant David Stiff from Batley.

Both players are part of Yorkshire's Academy Scholarship programme and both were members of the Northern Under-14s side which last year beat the Under-15s A team to win the prestigious Bunbury Festival.

Broadbent, who lives at Fadmoor, near Kirkbymoorside, and studies at Ryedale School, played junior cricket for Calverley before moving from Leeds five years ago.

He was on the winning Yorkshire side which beat Somerset at last year's English Schools' Cricket Association's County Championships and he also scooped the Under-15s Yorkshire Schools' bowling awards.

His career has already moved forward this season with a couple of early appearances in four-day Championship matches for Yorkshire Seconds.

"I made my debut against Durham at Scarborough in a rain-hit match and I did pretty well," he said.

"I took one for 42 in 24 overs in the first innings and one for 30 in the second before the game was washed out."

Broadbent also made a useful 11 runs before being bowled by Durham's Ian Hunter who went on to take five wickets against Yorkshire's first team at Riverside last month.

"The World Cup will not be easy and we are probably in the tougher group with holders India but I think we stand as good a chance as anyone of getting through to the Lord's final," Broadbent added.

Yorkshire's three other representatives in the squad are batsman James Chervak from Harrogate who attends Ashville College and joined the St George's Road club when he was ten; all-rounder Andrew Parkin-Coates of Worksop College and Doncaster Cricket Club who scored 50 on his Yorkshire League debut for the Academy last season; and all-rounder Tim Bresnan who attends Castleford High School and plays for Castleford CC.

England's group matches take place at Eton College and the semi-finals are scheduled for Chelmsford and Hove, the semis and then final having live coverage on Sky TV.