Yorkshire are poised to sign Chris Adams from Sussex as captain for next season - and also give him managerial responsibilities for running the first team.

Chief executive Stewart Regan confirmed yesterday that Yorkshire are hot on the trail of 36-year-old Adams, who is one of county cricket's most successful captains.

He has just led Sussex to a double triumph in 2006 by lifting the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy and guiding them to the County Championship title for the second time in four seasons.

Adams' proudest moment to date was when Sussex clinched the Championship in 2003 for the first time in the club's history.

Regan stressed that the deal had not yet been finalised.

"I can confirm that we are in discussions with Adams to bring him to Headingley as captain next season," said Regan.

"We are very excited by him as an individual and he has certainly got an outstanding track record. He has turned Sussex round and made them one of the leading lights in English cricket."

Adams has formed an outstanding partnership at Hove with Hull-born Mark Robinson, the former Yorkshire pace bowler, who is Sussex's director of cricket.

But Adams has managerial ambitions of his own, which he possibly cannot fulfil with Sussex, and the challenge of revitalising Yorkshire will appeal to the competitive nature of one of domestic cricket's most talented batsmen, who never realised his full potential for England.

Born in Whitwell, Derbyshire, Adams played for his native county from 1988-97 but became disenchanted and moved to Sussex as captain the following season, leading them with great panache.

Although Yorkshire's director of cricket, David Byas, may lose his day-to-day running of the first team if Adams is appointed, he has been working hard behind the scenes to bring Adams to Headingley, along with Pakistan batsman Younis Khan.

"If Chris comes, he will be given the responsibility that a captain wants, enabling him to do the job properly, the same as I had as skipper when Bob Platt was cricket chairman and we had a cricket committee," said Byas, who guided Yorkshire to their first Championship title win in 33 years in 2001.

Like Regan, however, Byas emphasised that the deal had not yet been concluded and Yorkshire's hope is that it will not be scuppered as a result of the negotiations being revealed.

Yorkshire are also hoping that if Adams is appointed it will appease their leading batsman, Anthony McGrath, who is unhappy with the way the club is being run and wants to leave.

Regan had talks with McGrath this week and more are planned for next week, presumably after Adams has put pen to paper.

After news of Yorkshire's interest in Adams leaked out, Sussex yesterday admitted that they had been negotiating with their captain for a month on an extension to his present contract.

A spokesman said: "We have now made another offer for a year's extension, taking him to the end of the 2008 season with an enhancement on the terms of his present contract."

* Former Lancashire and England off-spinner Chris Schofield has signed a one-year contract with Surrey.

Schofield started last season with Suffolk before earning a trial in the Surrey second team which led to him playing for the first team from August onwards.

Schofield said: ''I would like to thank Alan Butcher for giving me the opportunity to play regular first-class cricket again and particularly in the fantastic surroundings of the Brit Oval.