The sun shone brightly at Headingley yesterday - but only at teatime when the umpires finally abandoned play on the opening day of Yorkshire's championship match against Leicestershire.

Until then persistent rain, heavy at times in the morning, had prevented any hopes of a start to a game Yorkshire are eager to win to continue their push up the Second Division table after excellent wins away wins against Essex and Durham.

Yorkshire's next game is at the Rose Bowl next week against third-placed Hampshire and a win over Leicestershire would boost confidence which is already high following consecutive wins in their last six matches in all competitions.

The few spectators who were at Headingley yesterday were still talking about Yorkshire's splendid win against Lancashire in the Cheltenham & Gloucester Trophy last Wednesday and the good news is that Darren Lehmann will be back from Australia in time for the semi-final showdown with Gloucestershire at Bristol on July 17.

Lehmann returns to his homeland on Tuesday for the short home series against Sri Lanka but will re-join Yorkshire three days before the big game.

"I am really looking forward to it," said Lehmann who was full of praise for Michael Vaughan's 116 not out against Lancashire, the pair putting on a crucial 149 for the fifth wicket.

"It was a great game to play in and I though Vaughnie was absolutely brilliant," said Lehmann, who did not do too badly himself while compiling a masterly 62.

l The England and Wales Cricket Board hope the "feelgood factor" created by Michael Vaughan's England will continue to swell domestic attendances.

More than 100,000 people watched England win the opening Test of the summer at Lord's - the first victory of a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand, which came on the back of their success in the Caribbean.

And with ticket sales for the forthcoming Twenty20 competition having already surpassed the 80,000-mark, the ECB hope attendances will beat the 250,000 spectators who witnessed the inaugural season of the shortest form of the game in this country.

The match between holders Surrey and Kent at the Brit Oval, where capacity has been reduced due to construction work, is already a sell-out and more than 10,000 seats have been taken for the London derby between Middlesex and Surrey, while the introduction of a quarter-finals day should increase counties' revenue.

"We all benefit from a feelgood factor when the national side does well," said ECB marketing manager Tom Harrison. "It is a key factor in being able to market the game.

"Domestic cricket has not had an advance ticket sales culture in the past and it is something we are very keen to create - which makes these figures even more pleasing. Our aim is to improve on last year's attendance and we are on track."