YORKSHIRE CCC'S new signing from Northamptonshire, John Blain, vowed today to fight hard for a regular place both in the Championship and at one-day level.

"Yorkshire have lost a few seamers over the past six months and I would like to think I can push my way right to the top of the pile," said the Scotland paceman.

"I bring with me my national and international experience which I hope will assist Yorkshire and joining a great club like this will also help me to establish myself.

"Northamptonshire are a fine club but everyone knows about Yorkshire and what cricket means to the county and you sim-ply don't turn down the opportunity to play for them.

"I am also looking forward to bowling regularly on the Headingley pitches which should suit me much better than the ones at Wantage Road which assist the spinners far more than the seamers.

"I began last season in the first team at Northants but as the pitches got harder I was left out more often as they went for spin options."

Blain, 25, has just returned from repre-senting Scotland in the ICC Six Nations tournament in Dubai where he played alongside his close friend, Gavin Hamilton, who has now left Yorkshire and is trying to rebuild his career with Durham.

Blain admitted that his bowling had sometimes been costly in the past but he had enjoyed a very successful tour of Dubai with Scotland, taking ten wicket at 24 runs apiece, and he was looking forward to the challenges which lay ahead.

Although Blain will be useful cover when Yorkshire are hit by a combination of Test calls and injuries, Tykes' skipper Craig White emphasised that the new recruit would stand the same chance as anyone else of a regular place in the side.

"Everyone here starts off with a clean slate and John will obviously be pushing very hard for a first team place," said White. "It is very healthy to have competition for places and having another bowler in our ranks is just great for us."

Updated: 14:45 Tuesday, March 16, 2004