Yorkshire Cricket by David Warner

Salford-born Michael Vaughan will become the modern day Lord Hawke tomorrow when he captains Yorkshire in the three-day match against Cambridge University at Headingley.

Vaughan, 23, gets his first chance to lead Yorkshire because skipper David Byas, who has played in every game so far this season, is taking a well-earned rest.

Yorkshire will also give first class debuts to two right-hand batsmen and off-spinners in James Middlebrook, 21, from Pudsey Congs, and Richard Wilkinson, 20, who plays for the Yorkshire Academy and comes from Wombwell.

Both youngsters have enjoyed outstanding seasons both with Yorkshire Seconds and at league level and Byas believes this is the ideal opportunity to blood them at senior level.

Vaughan, a former England Under 19s captain, became the first modern day cricketer born outside Yorkshire to be given a contract by the county when he signed up with the Academy.

Now he is following in the footsteps of one of Yorkshire's most famous celebrities, Lord Hawke, who was born in Lincolnshire and captained the White Rose county with great distinction from 1883-1910.

Vaughan is in prime form at the moment, having scored 177 in the championship win over Durham last week, and with 700 first class runs already under his belt this season is on the fringe of England recognition.

Darren Gough also returns to the Yorkshire side tomorrow, following his broken finger, but the decision to hand the captaincy to Vaughan, rather than England's top strike bowler, could be an indicator to future thinking.

As well as Byas, Darren Lehmann, Richard Blakey, Richard Stemp, Gavin Hamilton and Ryan Sidebottom all take a rest but there is plenty of interest in the game with Gough trying to prove his fitness for a Test place at Old Trafford next week and Craig White having his first bowl since a second injection on his injured back.

Cambridge University have agreed to Yorkshire's request for the hours to be 11am to 6.30pm tomorrow and Sunday and 11am to 5.30 or 6pm on Monday.

Lancashire's easy win over Sussex yesterday means that Yorkshire will now be at Old Trafford for a big showdown in the second round of the NatWest Trophy on July 8.

Yorkshire will be out to avenge the two semi-final defeats they suffered on the ground in 1996 and even though they regained some pride by beating Lancashire in the group stages of the Benson and Hedges Cup last year, a victory on this occasion is far more important.

Yorkshire (v Cambridge University): M Vaughan, A McGrath, M Wood, C White, B Parker, J Middlebrook, R Wilkinson, C Chapman, D Gough, C Silverwood, P Hutchison.

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