Cricket: Anthony McGrath was out for a duck as Yorkshire made a bad start to their championship season at bitterly cold Headingley today.

Somerset decided to field first on winning the toss and England paceman Andy Caddick was immediately in hostile form from the Kirkstall Lane end, but it was Graham Rose who picked up McGrath's wicket.

Huddersfield-born Matthew Wood was making his championship debut for Yorkshire who included left-arm spinner Richard Stemp and left out seamer Gavin Hamilton.

Although the outfield had been waterlogged earlier in the week, groundsman Andy Fogarty had done an excellent job in preparing a bone dry pitch and Caddick was able to bowl a menacing opening over to McGrath.

McGrath failed to make contact with any of the six deliveries, four of which completely beat him outside off-stump on their way to wicketkeeper Rob Turner.

Michael Vaughan picked up a single at the other end off Graham Rose who generally bowled with less venom than his partner whose second over was also a maiden.

It was Rose, however, who claimed the first wicket in the fourth over with only one on the board, McGrath playing slightly across a full length delivery to be trapped lbw.

Skipper David Byas was next in and Caddick continued to be a constant threat with his pace and steep lift off a length.

Vaughan got two off an edge against Caddick but looked far more certain when he cut him for the first boundary after half an hour and then whipped Rose through mid-wicket for four.

It was tough going but the second wicket pair were still together by the tenth over when Yorkshire were 16 for one with Vaughan 13 and Byas 3.

Brian Close, the legendary hard man of English cricket, was almost reduced to tears during a presentation at Yorkshire's pre-season luncheon at Elland Road yesterday.

The former Yorkshire and England captain, who was knocked off the county committee last month, received a cut glass claret jug from president Sir Lawrence Byford on behalf of the club in recognition of 67-year-old Close's half century of service to Yorkshire.

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