It is back to the serious business for Yorkshire in their promotion tussle with second-placed, Worcestershire, at New Road.

Yorkshire go into the game in fourth with a match in hand.

It's a month since their last match when they clung on for a draw against Lancashire, but today's team has a slightly different look about it with out-of-form Michael Lumb replaced by fellow left-hander Joe Sayers, who is making his first Championship appearance of the summer.

Lumb made a courageous 68 in the Roses clash but endured a miserable Twenty20 Cup campaign before being left out of the last game against Leicestershire.

Sayers, an Oxford Blue, has been itching to get back into the side after impressing towards the end of last season when he formed a successful opening combination with Phil Jaques.

Director of cricket David Byas said: "It is always a difficult decision to leave a player out but Joe has forced the issued by scoring prolifically for the seconds over the past few weeks.

"We all know that Michael is capable of scoring a lot of runs and I am sure he will soon be pressing hard for his place back.

"But he is an England A player and a potential Test batsman and as such he should have been scoring centuries for us over the past few weeks rather that 20s and 30s. I want him to start contributing in a bigger way than he has been."

This will be Matthew Hoggard's last game for Yorkshire before joining up with England for the Ashes.

Yorkshire (from): Wood, Sayers, McGrath, Jaques, Harvey, White, Dawood, Dawson, Bresnan, Kruis, Hoggard.

* Worcestershire will make a late decision on the fitness of Shoaib Akhtar before naming their side.

The Pakistan paceman suffered a slight calf strain during the Twenty20 Cup match against Glamorgan on Wednesday and has been undergoing treatment in a bid to recover in time.

Coach Steve Rhodes will make at least one change to the team as they return to four-day action, with David Leatherdale dropping out of the squad.

Steve Davies and Matt Mason are brought into the 12-man squad and the latter is expected to take Shoaib's place if he is ruled out.