RICHARD Blakey returns for revitalised Yorkshire in their totesport League match against Worcestershire Royals at New Road on Sunday.

The experienced wicketkeeper-batsman will also take Simon Guy's place behind the stumps in Wednesday's absorbing battle of the Roses at Old Trafford in the quarter- finals of the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy.

Although Guy has pouched a good number of catches this season he has also let several chances go to ground and his batting has been a huge disappointment.

Blakey, now doing an excellent job as second team captain and manager, was brought back for the last three one-day matches and director of cricket David Byas has decided he wants him in the side for these two vitally important games.

Yorkshire now have leading strike bowler Chris Silverwood fit again after recovering from the tooth abscess which kept him out of the Championship match at Riverside this week and he looks certain to play tomorrow.

Worcestershire will be looking to complete the double after beating Phoenix by 39 runs at Headingley on May 23, but since then Yorkshire have experienced a remarkable change in fortunes by winning four away matches on the trot and they intend to go on extending the sequence.

They thrashed Devon by 132 runs at Exmouth in the third round of the C&G Trophy before heading north to Edinburgh where they overcame Scotland in the totesport League.

Since then they have caned Essex and Durham in the Championship to become serious challengers for promotion.

Captain Craig White said he thought the reason for the revival was that they had been playing strictly to a plan and also getting the basics right.

"We have batted better and also bowled a tighter line and if I have to be ultra critical I would say that we have to start taking the half chances in the field which have been going down," he said.

"Worcestershire tomorrow and then Lancashire are massive games for us but we can win them if we play like we have been doing recently. We need to go on keeping it simple and at the same time enjoy ourselves."

Phoenix will stay in the promotion race if they succeed at New Road but a slip will be costly because they have played at least one game more than any of the other Second Division teams.

Yorkshire Phoenix (v Worcestershire Royals) from: Wood, White, Jaques, McGrath, Lehmann, Lumb, Blakey, Dawson, Bresnan, Kirby, Thornicroft, Silverwood.

Updated: 10:51 Saturday, June 12, 2004