YORKSHIRE were striving to preserve their status as the only unbeaten side in either division of the County Championship when they began their match against Leicestershire at Scarborough today.

They were also trying to complete their first double of the season, having beaten Leicestershire by six wickets in a record-breaking contest at Grace Road in mid-May.

On that occasion they were asked to make their highest ever winning score of 404 and they got there through a brilliant innings of 165 not out from Anthony McGrath.

After that game, they had a run of three consecutive draws but got back to winning ways in their last match against Worcestershire at New Road when they succeeded in reaching another target, this time 268 on a much livelier pitch.

The victory left them only one-and-a-half points behind Worcestershire, who hold the third promotion spot, but they enjoy a game in hand over each of the three teams above them and if they beat Leicestershire they should be odds-on favourites for a return to division one.

They would then have five wins this season which would be two more than they managed last summer when they finished 34.5 points behind the third promotions spot - a total which they would expect two wins to bring them.

Four of Yorkshire's last six matches with Leicestershire have ended up as draws but they have not lost at home to their visitors since 1996 in the last Championship game ever to be played at Bradford Park Avenue.

Leicestershire won by an innings and 151 runs after amassing 681-7 declared which is the highest score ever made against Yorkshire by any county.

Skipton-born James Whitaker, now Leicestershire's cricket supremo, was captain at the time and his 218 remains his side's highest individual score off a Yorkshire attack.

Yorkshire will also be at Scarborough on Sunday when they take on Warwickshire Bears in the Totesport League.

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, July 20, 2005