Yorkshire will have to take care not to get knocked over by the Rawalpindi Express if they are to complete a double over Worcestershire in their final home championship game of the season, which was due to begin at Headingley today.

Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar is a major obstacle standing in Yorkshire's way as they try for the win that would virtually guarantee promotion at the end of the season.

Shoaib did not play because of a fitness problem when Yorkshire beat Worcestershire by three wickets at New Road in mid-July and Tykes director of cricket David Byas admits the result could have been

different if he had.

Shoaib is certainly in the mood at the moment because on Sunday he routed Glouces-tershire Gladiators with six for 16 in seven overs, Worces-tershire's best-ever bowling in the National League.

But Yorkshire's own attack is also much sharper now they have signed paceman Mark Cleary, who is making his debut in this game, and Byas is confident the Australian's bowling will give them the extra firepower they need to clinch promotion.

The absence for much of the time of Chris Silverwood has meant Deon Kruis and Tim Bresnan have had to shoulder a tremendous amount of hard work and both have done well not to crack under the strain.

Kruis grabbed five for 102 against Lancashire and followed up with five for 106 off Durham at Scarborough.

He is the only Yorkshire bowler to have gone past the 50-wicket mark.

With Phil Jaques having left for Australia A duty, the other batsmen are going to have to contribute more over the last three matches and much is expected of Anthony McGrath, who went into today's game needing just 24 to complete 1,000 first-class runs for the first time in his career.

Second XI Championships - Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Yorkshire (Day 1 of 3) Glamorgan 292 (LA Smith 74, DS Lucas 3-50) v Yorkshire 38-0.