Yorkshire bowlers are battling against each other to play for England.

The county is blessed with a superb battery of quick bowlers and Chris Silverwood is the latest to stake his claim for a Test place.

While Matthew Hoggard was taking his first England wickets against Pakistan at Old Trafford yesterday, Silverwood launched his 'Quick Silvers' column for the Evening Press today in style with his second successive Championship five-wicket haul.

Silverwood produced a devastating display yesterday to finish with 5 for 20 against Glamorgan to follow his seven-wicket match haul against Northamptonshire last week.

The Welsh county's batsmen simply could not handle Silverwood, particularly in the first session when he picked up three wickets in nine balls and came within a whisker of getting a hat-trick as he mopped up the tail.

"It was swinging about a bit in the morning and it was good that I have been able to carry my good form from the previous game against Northants into the

match at Swansea. I am chuffed to bits," said Silverwood, who is now the country's leading wicket-taker with 24 victims.

Glamorgan were skittled for 104 in reply to Yorkshire's first innings of 280, but many observers were surprised that skipper David Byas didn't enforce the follow on.

Silverwood explained: "We had a chat about it as we got together on the field. We didn't really want to bat last as we thought it might be tricky if we were chasing a victory target on a turning wicket. It was showing signs late yesterday that the wicket was starting to turn."

Byas' tactics paid off yesterday as Yorkshire closed on 208 for 6 and Silverwood was hoping that victory could be sewn up today.

Silverwood, who has five England appearances to his credit, has emerged as the latest Yorkshire bowler with genuine England claims. Darren Gough is already established as England's number one strike bowler, Ryan Sidebottom earned his first England appearance in the Lord's victory over Pakistan a fortnight ago, but lost his place to Hoggard.

In addition, both Craig White and Gavin Hamilton will also come into the reckoning when they are fully fit, while Paul Hutchison is also highly-regarded by the England selectors.

Hoggard was resuming the second Test for England today with sights firmly set on his maiden five-wicket haul after ending an 11-month wait to leave the 'one-cap club'.

He has waited patiently for another chance for England ever since suffering a wicketless return on his debut against West Indies at Lord's last summer.

He earned his reward yesterday by claiming three for 79 as Pakistan piled up a formidable 370 for 8 on the opening day, including the key wickets of Inzamam-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, who had shared a damaging 141-run fifth-wicket partnership.

That success has made Hoggard, who impressed without earning a chance on the tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka during the winter, hungry for more and he is keen to claim the final two wickets in the innings to register his first five-wicket Test haul.

"I'm ecstatic really," he admitted. "I'd have been happy with one wicket, but thankfully I got three and there's another two to get - I've got a taste for it, like it and I want some more wickets."

Updated: 11:38 Friday, June 01, 2001