YORKSHIRE will have to take great care not to get derailed by the Rawalpindi Express if they are to complete the double over Worcestershire in their final home Championship game of the season which was due to begin at Headingley today.

Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar, one of the fastest bowlers in the world, is a major obstacle standing in Yorkshire's way as they try to beat Worcestershire and virtually guarantee themselves promotion at the end of the season.

Shoaib did not play because of a fitness problem when Yorkshire defeated Worcestershire by three wickets at New Road in mid-July and the Tykes' director of cricket David Byas admits that the result could have been different if he had.

Yorkshire already have bitter experience of just what Shoaib can do because he blasted out four of their batsmen in a destructive burst which turned the tables completely and brought victory for Durham at Riverside a couple of years' ago.

And Shoaib is certainly in the mood at the moment because on Sunday he routed Gloucestershire Gladiators with 6-16 in seven overs, Worcestershire's best-ever bowling in the National League.

But Yorkshire's own attack is almost much sharper now that they have signed Australian paceman Mark Cleary, who is making his debut in the game.

Byas is confident that Cleary's bowling will give them the extra firepower they need to clinch promotion.

The absence for much of the time of Chris Silverwood has meant both Deon Kruis and Tim Bresnan have had to should a tremendous amount of hard work and both have done well not to crack under the strain.

Kruis grabbed 5-102 against Lancashire and followed up with 5-106 off Durham's attack at Scarborough and he is the only Yorkshire bowler to have gone past the 50-wicket mark, Bresnan being closest to him with 42.

With Phil Jaques having left for Australia 'A' team's tour of Pakistan, Yorkshire's other batsmen are going to have to make bigger contributions over the last three matches and much will be expected of Anthony McGrath who went into today's game requiring just 24 to complete 1,000 first class runs for the first time in his career.

McGrath hit a century in Yorkshire's last Championship match at Headingley, when the loss of a day's play prevented them from beating Derbyshire, and he has also managed three figures against Leicestershire at Grace Road and Durham at Riverside.

A final flourish to the season could also see captain Craig White complete 1,000 first class runs for the first time. He currently stands on 774 and has shown outstanding recent form.

Updated: 10:32 Wednesday, September 07, 2005