Darren Gough returns from his short absence with a broken bone in his hand to lead Yorkshire Phoenix in their Twenty20 Cup curtain-raiser against title-holders Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road tomorrow evening (5.40).

Last year Gough played a major role in knocking Yorkshire out of the crash-bang-wallop competition by helping Essex to beat them by five wickets in their quarter-final clash at Chelmsford.

But now that Gough has returned to his native county, he is determined to take them all the way to the finals day at Edgbaston on August 4.

The 36-year-old former England strike bowler pronounced himself fit for the action after visiting a specialist yesterday for a progress report on his right hand, which he damaged exactly a fortnight ago during Yorkshire's Championship match with Kent at Tunbridge Wells.

It was originally thought that Gough would miss all of the Twenty20 group games but the break on his fifth metacarpal has healed quicker than expected and he was as keen as mustard to be in the thick of the battle at Grace Road.

During Gough's three years with Essex, he played in 15 Twenty20 matches, scoring 163 runs and taking 17 wickets, but tomorrow's game will be his first for Yorkshire.

Left-arm slow bowler David Wainwright is preferred to leg-spinner Adil Rashid, but both Younus Khan and Jacques Rudolph can bowl leg-breaks if required.

Tim Bresnan, Richard Pyrah and Chris Gilbert are all in the squad of 13 because of their all-round potential, while Yorkshire are hoping that the presence of England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard will help to contain Leicestershire's free-scoring batsmen.

Just how long Yorkshire will be able to call upon Hoggard, however, depends up whether England pick him tomorrow for the forthcoming one-day internationals with the West Indies.

England captain Michael Vaughan was not available for tomorrow's match, but Yorkshire will also have to decide whether to include him in the later stages - provided he wants to play and is not required by England for their one-dayers.

Craig White is expected to open the batting for Yorkshire with wicketkeeper Gerard Brophy, who last year scored the joint fastest Twenty20 half-century ever recorded when he got to the mark off 14 balls with 12 fours against Derbyshire at Derby.

Twenty20 Cup cricket is now in its fifth season and proving just as popular as ever with the fans.

Already Headingley Carnegie is sold out for next Monday's Roses clash and tickets are selling fast for the three other home matches.

Yorkshire Phoenix from: White, Brophy, McGrath, Younus Khan, Rudolph, Pyrah, Bresnan, Wainwright, Gough, Gilbert, Gillespie, Hoggard, Kruis.