Leading wicket-taker Chris Silverwood returned to Yorkshire's side for their PPP Championship tussle with Nottinghamshire which began at Trent Bridge today.

The fast bowler, who has taken 39 wickets at 21.92 runs apiece, has missed the last two matches after being called up by England and then rejected.

But Silverwood's absence from the Test side has meant he has avoided any of the flak which England have had fired at them following their series defeat by New Zealand and this will have enhanced his chances of being pencilled in for the tour of South Africa which begins in October.

England's new selection committee will announce the squad shortly and Michael Vaughan and Paul Hutchison are two other Yorkshire players who could be included while Matthew Hoggard could make it to Bangladesh and New Zealand with England A.

Although Yorkshire were glad to have Silverwood back, it is their batting which needs spicing up at the moment if they are to stay in the top half of the championship table and avoid the drop into the new second division next season.

Their tally of 17 batting bonus points is the second lowest of any county and in six of their 13 matches so far they have failed to pick up a single batting point.

Skipper David Byas admits that nothing short of a win will do against Nottinghamshire who have sunk to 15th place in the table and are just as short of confidence as Yorkshire after losing by an innings and 118 runs to Glamorgan in their last match.

Yorkshire were expected to make one change from the side beaten by ten wickets in the Roses match, Silverwood most likely returning at the expense of left-arm spinner Ian Fisher.

Yorkshire (v Nottinghamshire) from: Wood, Vaughan, Byas, Harden, McGrath, White, Hamilton, Blakey, Silverwood, Sidebottom, Hutchison, Fisher.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.