Left-arm spinner Ian Fisher today had a rare chance to secure a permanent place in Yorkshire's PPP Championship side by being included in the match against third-placed Middlesex at Headingley.

Denholme-born Fisher, who plays for East Bierley, has so far managed only two championship outings during his career, both against Derbyshire, and he gets his present opportunity because off-spinner James Middlebrook's damaged finger will keep him out of action for a further fortnight.

With left-armer Richard Stemp now having moved on to Nottinghamshire, 23-year-old Fisher can strengthen his claims to being Yorkshire's leading spinner, but at the moment Middlebrook would probably be chosen ahead of Fisher if fit and there will be further competition later in the season when Richard Dawson and Chris Ellison are home for the summer from Exeter University.

Fisher is the one change in Yorkshire's side which lost to Somerset by six wickets at Taunton almost a fortnight ago and he replaces all-rounder Gavin Hamilton who is doing battle for Scotland in the World Cup. Darren Gough, of course, is with England, and Paul Hutchison is still out with back trouble although he will play for Pudsey St Lawrence at the weekend.

Both Fisher and Michael Vaughan bowled tidily in Yorkshire's World Cup warm-up game against Scotland at Scarborough on Wednesday with Fisher picking up a couple of important wickets.

The man-of-the-match award in that game went to Australian Greg Blewett who registered his first half century in his seventh innings since joining Yorkshire and he is looking to continue his improved form. He is still unable to bowl his medium pacers, however, following a side strain picked up during the winter, but it should not belong before he is back to full fitness.

Middlesex moved into third place in the table after beating Gloucestershire in their last match but they have played a game more than Yorkshire.

Yorkshire: Blewett, Vaughan, Byas, Wood, McGrath, White, Blakey, Silverwood, Fisher, Hoggard, Sidebottom.

Middlesex (from): Langer, Roseberry, Weekes, Ramprakash, Shah, Strauss, Nash, Hewitt, Bloomfield, Johnson, Cook, Blanchett.

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