CHRIS Silverwood is all set to play his first Championship match of the season for top-of-the-table Yorkshire against Kent at Headingley tomorrow.
The fast bowler's only senior outing so far was in the Benson and Hedges Cup game with Durham on the opening day of the season when he suffered a heel problem which turned out to be more serious than first thought.
After a successful winter in South Africa, Silverwood would almost certainly have been in the frame for a Test place against Zimbabwe if this latest injury had not proved to be another setback to his England career.
Now Silverwood is eager to get back on track but he knows that he must first of all pick up wickets with Yorkshire before England start to notice him again.
Silverwood warmed up yesterday by playing for David Byas's team at Hornsea in a benefit match for the Yorkshire captain.
Ryan Sidebottom also returns to the squad on his recovery from a groin injury but he is likely to be made 12th man if Paul Hutchison holds on to his place.
Only Craig White of Yorkshire's front-line bowlers remains sidelined with back and knee injuries but he scored a century for Scarborough at the weekend and also played for Byas's team yesterday.
One piece of misfortune after another has hit White in recent weeks and he admits his lay-off could not have come at a worse time.
"I think I would have stood a good chance of being in the England team this week had I been playing regularly because they have gone for an extra all-rounder in Mark Ealham," said White.
"I am not fully match fit at the moment but I will be playing in two or three one-day games this week and then hope to put myself forward for selection for Yorkshire's National League match with Kent on Sunday."
White said he now believed the knee injury on which he has had an injection was caused by his fall in Scarborough when he collapsed in the street without warning.
"At first I thought I had only grazed my knee but it now looks as if I did more serious damage," he added.
"I have to take it as good news that none of the scans or tests revealed anything wrong but there remains the nagging worry of why it should happen. I can only hope it was a one-off and will not be repeated."
Yorkshire's director of coaching, Martyn Moxon, said: "At last we are getting close to full-strength with our fast bowlers and this is excellent news because it means there is strong competition for places."
Although Yorkshire will miss the attacking thrust of Darren Gough tomorrow, England's opinion that Michael Vaughan needs more batting practice before getting a Test recall is good news for Yorkshire .
Yorkshire (v Kent) from: Vaughan, Byas, Blakey, Lehmann, Wood, Fellows, Hamilton, Middlebrook, Silverwood, Hoggard, Hutchison, Sidebottom.
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