YORKSHIRE will give a Championship debut to at least one of their young fast bowlers in the opening match against Nottinghamshire which begins at Trent Bridge tomorrow.

Australian-born Mitch Claydon and Steve Patterson, from Hull, have both won places in the squad of 12 following good bowling in the game against Leeds-Bradford Universities, which ended in a draw at Headingley yesterday after rain washed out the final day's play.

Claydon, already one of the sharpest bowlers on Yorkshire's books, did particularly well with figures of five for 37 from 11 hostile overs, but Patterson will also be satisfied with his three for 24.

Yorkshire are having to rely upon their young bloods because they are still awaiting the arrival of Australian Test bowler, Jason Gillespie, while South African Deon Kruis is out for at least three weeks with a torn calf muscle.

The good news is that Tim Bresnan will go into the match with five first-class wickets under his belt and a career-best 94 after doing well for MCC, and Darren Lehmann will boost the batting in his first appearance of the season, having stood down from the friendly games.

One player who is guaranteed to make his Yorkshire Championship debut is wicketkeeper-batsman, Gerard Brophy, who was signed during the close season from Northamptonshire.

Although the sun was shining by early afternoon the ground was too wet for play yesterday, when the students would have had to bat out the day to save the match after being set 644 for victory.

The students were not strong enough to give Yorkshire a proper test with either bat or ball but all of Yorkshire's top six batsmen were grateful for the opportunity to score an avalanche of runs.

Yorkshire (v Nottinghamshire) from: Wood, Sayers, McGrath, Lumb, Lehmann, WWhite, Brophy, Dawson, Bresnan, Patterson, Blain, Claydon.

Ian Harvey returns for Gloucestershire after an absence of almost three years as they open their Liverpool Victoria County Championship campaign with a derby against Somerset at Bristol.

The Australian all-rounder, an integral part of Gloucestershire's all-conquering one-day side of the late 1990s and the early 2000s, will fill the role of overseas player until New Zealanders Shane Bond and Hamish Marshall arrive next month.