Under leaden skies and with the temperature a couple of degrees above freezing, the versatile Darren Lehmann just had time at Headingley to announce that he is back with Yorkshire - and looking as full of runs as ever.

CLASS ACT: Darren Lehmann

The Australian left-hander faced 54 balls before torrential rain abruptly ended the in-house practice match yesterday but by then he had already struck three fours and a six, played a few cheeky reverse sweeps and given the general impression that he had been batting on English pitches for months rather than minutes.

The truth was that Lehmann had only the previous night arrived in Leeds from Paris where he had spent a few days on a belated honeymoon with Craig White's sister, Emma, whom he had married at Christmas.

It was truly amazing that Lehmann could adapt so readily to the worst English conditions imaginable after blazing the trail on firm and true Australian pitches during the winter when he amassed 1142 first class runs in only ten matches at an average of 63.44 for his State side, South Australia.

Despite this run glut, which included seven centuries, Lehmann was dropped by Australia after the Test series with Zimbabwe last September and was unable to win back his place.

It's a puzzling situation with which he has become familiar these days but he's still determined to play for his country again although he realises that time is beginning to run out on him.

"If I don't make it to Pakistan in October or for the Ashes series next summer then I suppose I will just have State cricket back home and Championship cricket over here to look forward to," he said.

"I sometimes wonder if my face doesn't fit because scoring plenty of runs isn't working on its own and I can get pretty dark and unhappy about it on occasions.

"But I will just have to take stock of the situation and ask if I am doing the right things with my batting as well as trying to bowl and field even better.

"Whatever happens, I am absolutely delighted to be back with Yorkshire and after a few minutes in the middle I felt as if I had never been away.

"I want to go on scoring a lot of runs for them but it is even more important to me that I can help them win the trophies that they have so far narrowly missed out on.

"It was heartbreaking to watch them lose ground last summer after they had made such a great start to the season and I am determined that it won't happen again this time.

"I want us to take a leaf out of the Australians' book and be more ruthless and arrogant on the field. If we can make some decent scores then we certainly have enough good bowlers to be able to bowl sides out twice."

The good news for Yorkshire that Lehmann is back and in cracking form has been tempered by an injury Anthony McGrath who will miss the two opening Benson and Hedges Cup matches against Durham and Lancashire at the weekend.

McGrath has had an injection on his left knee after twisting it while bowling on the pre-season tour of Australia and then aggravating the injury in Monday's practice match against Derbyshire.

Yorkshire have sounded out Lancashire, Warwickshire and Surrey over the possibility of organising an inter-city floodlit tournament.

"The ECB have been informed of the situation and want to be kept in touch with any further developments," said Yorkshire chief executive Chris Hassell.

So far we have only held preliminary discussions and nothing will happen in time for this season but all four counties are interested in continuing the exchanges," he added.

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