YORKSHIRE may cap their 23-year-old off-spinner Richard Dawson during the Championship match against Durham which began at the Scarborough Cricket Festival today.

Although the handing out of caps is kept a closely guarded secret until the actual presentation takes place, Dawson could be in line to receive his colours either at the start of the game or when he comes on to bowl.

Scarborough is a traditional venue for these awards and Yorkshire cannot put off capping Dawson for much longer because he is currently the club's leading wicket-taker this season both in the Championship with 29 dismissals and the totesport League with 22 victims.

Dawson has so far played for England in seven Test matches, making his debut against India at Mohali in 2001-02 and taking 4-134 in India's first innings, and like former Yorkshire and England captain, Brian Close, he received his England cap before his county cap.

Born in Doncaster and educated at Batley Grammar School and Exeter University, Dawson made his Yorkshire debut in 2001 and there was some surprise when Yorkshire did not cap him at the end of the following season when he claimed 39 Championship wickets.

After playing in the Ashes series in 2002-03, Dawson struggled with his action for a while but his confidence has soared again this season and he would doubtless have taken many more wickets if so much time had not been lost to the weather in recent weeks.

Dawson will be a key player in the present game if, as expected, the North Marine Road pitch takes spin, and he and young leg-spinner Mark Lawson could be a dangerous combination together.

It had been hoped that the pair would cause problems when Lawson made his Championship debut against Somerset at Scarborough in July but Yorkshire batted so poorly that the game was over in little more than two days and the spinners never had the opportunity of bowling on a wearing pitch.

Yorkshire know that they cannot afford to slip up against Durham who they trounced by 320 runs at Riverside in mid-June.

Anything less than a win will result in them losing touch with third-placed Glamorgan who lead Yorkshire by 18.5 points. Glamorgan tomorrow take on Essex at Chelmsford and following another round of matches they visit Headingley on September 16 to wrap up the season with a game which could determine which of the two sides goes up.

Updated: 11:04 Wednesday, September 01, 2004