YORKSHIRE were keeping faith with out-of-touch opening batsman Joe Sayers in the 242nd Roses match which began at Headingley today.

The left-hander has made a wretched start to the season with only 43 runs in six Championship innings to give him a miserable average of 7.16.

But director of cricket David Byas has decided to give at least one more chance to the former Oxford Blue and England Under 19s captain who is under pressure for his place from the free-scoring Andrew Gale.

"I think it is worth supporting Joe in this situation and a knee jerk reaction would not have been in his best interests or that of the team," said Byas.

"Joe has prepared meticulously for the new season and although he hasn't yet been able to build an innings he doesn't look out of nick.

"We have discussed the problem at length and Joe told me he would have been more concerned if he had been getting out when reaching 20-25 rather than in single figures.

"I think what he says is very true because the start of an innings is when a batsman is at his most vulnerable and I value his honest opinion.

"My decision was also influenced by the general improvement in our batting over the weekend when we reached 263-2 declared to save the Championship match against Kent at Canterbury and then hit 341-3 in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy thriller with Northamptonshire.

"Matthew Wood had also been badly short of runs until then but he has now found some form and I hope that the same thing will happen to Joe. He appreciates that he cannot go on for ever without making runs."

The only addition to Yorkshire's squad of 12 for the Kent match is the return of wicketkeeper-batsman, Gerard Brophy, who has been out for three weeks with a broken bone in the tip of an index finger.

Brophy saw a specialist yesterday and Byas was waiting to assess his fitness shortly before today's toss before deciding whether to recall him or continue with Simon Guy who has performed creditably behind the stumps during Brophy's absence.

Yorkshire entered the Roses match uncomfortably close to the relegation zone and still seeking their first win of the season whereas Lancashire are sitting pretty in fourth place with two wins from three matches and a game in hand on the three teams above them.

But Yorkshire can take heart from having the more impressive record in recent Roses matches, winning three and drawing four of the last seven encounters and they have not lost to Lancashire at Headingley since 1998.

Yorkshire from: Wood, Sayers, McGrath, Lumb, Lehmann, White, Bresnan, Brophy, Dawson, Gillespie, Kruis, Blain, Guy.

Updated: 11:45 Tuesday, May 16, 2006