Darren Gough has taken some encouraging steps towards regaining full fitness by bowling in the Headingley nets this week off a six-yard run and he hopes to be able to work up to full pace by the middle of next month.

But Gough admits that it could be the start of the season before he knows if he has fully recovered from his knee injury and whether he will be able to sign a new contract with Yorkshire.

Gough, now under the supervision of Yorkshire's physiotherapist consultant, Wayne Morton, has completed the rehabilitation programme on his knee, and is gradually building up his bowling.

Director of Cricket Geoff Cope has said he is quite happy to let Gough take as long as necessary to prove his fitness and Gough

has underlined his enthusiasm to go on playing for Yorkshire.

"A lot of the criticism I got from within the club almost drove me away from the county I love but I have received a lot of support from members over the past 12 months and this I feel has given me a second life with them.

"Yorkshire is now run by a businessman (chief

executive Colin Graves) and the players know that they can talk to him and he will talk to us rather than us going through committee members who don't know you until they come when there's a free

lunch."