Yorkshire batsman Matthew Wood yesterday flew out to Australia at his own expense to join up with the England Academy in Adelaide where he will spend the next six weeks trying to sharpen up his form ahead of the new season.

And all-rounder Gavin Hamilton, who missed practically the whole of last season because of a breakdown in confidence over his bowling, is finalising plans to go to Johannesburg for club cricket and coaching.

Hamilton intends staying with his Yorkshire team-mate Michael Lumb and his coaching will be supervised by Michael's father, Richard, the former Tykes' opening batsman, who emigrated to South Africa at the end of his playing career.

Wood, 25, spent last winter at the Academy, but when he returned home his good form of the previous year had deserted him and he was axed from the Championship side after making just 201 runs in 17 innings at an average of 11.2.

With openers Chris Taylor and Scott Richardson pushing hard to secure a permanent place, Wood knows an improvement is essential if he is to have a long-term future with the club, and he this week rang Academy boss Rodney Marsh to see if he could join up with the current squad of young England prospects.

"Rod told him that if he could find his way to Adelaide he would be made very welcome and Matthew decided to go entirely at his own expense," said Yorkshire's director of cricket, Geoff Cope.

"Matthew will be at the Academy during the week and he hopes to play Grade cricket at the week-ends.

"Gavin will also pay his own expenses to go to South Africa and I think the enthusiasm of both players does them great credit."

Richard Lumb is a fully qualified coach and he scored 11,525 first class runs for Yorkshire between 1970-84, featuring in 29 opening century stands with Geoff Boycott and regularly playing alongside Cope.

Updated: 12:47 Thursday, January 09, 2003