Darren Gough has quit Yorkshire - as exclusively forecast in yesterday's Telegraph & Argus.

But instead of retiring Gough is lining himself up with another county, Essex and Middlesex being among the favourites.

Gough cited spending more time with his young children as his main reason for wanting to leave Yorkshire and both Essex and Middlesex are reasonably close to his Milton Keynes flat and the house in Stewkley, Buckinghamshire, where his estranged wife and

two sons live. Essex showed a strong interest in Gough when he was previously on the verge of leaving Yorkshire and it is well-known that he

continues to be highly rated by Nasser Hussain, his former England captain who is club captain at Essex.

Gough's best man Paul Grayson is vice-captain of Essex, where former Yorkshire off-spinner, James Middlebrook also plays and

Gough has several lines of communication with the club.

Middlesex yesterday announced that their Australian fast bowler Ashley Noffke will not be with them this season because of a back problem, and committee representative Angus Fraser, the former Middlesex and England paceman, is believed to be keen to sign Gough if the money is right.

Yorkshire received a formal letter from Gough yesterday morning asking to be released from his contract and this was quickly agreed after talks between chief executive Colin Graves and director of cricket David Byas.

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