Darren Lehmann returns to Australia tomorrow with a broken little finger on his left hand which will keep him out of his country's trip to Kenya in a few days' time.

It is the cruellest of luck on the Yorkshire captain who was "devastated" to learn the news on Saturday afternoon after leaving the match against Warwickshire at Headingley for a hospital X-ray.

As well as causing Lehmann to miss the one-day triangular tournament in Kenya - which is the first phase of Australia's serious preparations for next February's World Cup - the injury ended his Yorkshire season a day earlier than expected because he was due to lead them at Cardiff yesterday in the Norwich Union League game against Glamorgan Dragons.

Lehmann travelled to Cardiff on the team coach to be with his side right to the end and today he is seeing a specialist in Leeds to find out if his finger will need pinning.

"If it is not pinned I may be back in about a month but if it is then I could be out for six or seven weeks," said Lehmann.

The only slight consolation for Lehmann is that the main damage to his finger was probably done a week earlier rather than during the meaningless final passage of play against Warwickshire when both sides were just going through the motions as they headed for a dreary rain-hit draw.

"I took a blow the previous Saturday in the match against Nottinghamshire Outlaws when I stopped a hard return drive from Kevin Pietersen," said Lehmann.

"I went off for treatment for what I thought was bruising but the injury did not clear up over the next few days and I took a further knock while batting in the Warwickshire game before hurting the finger again in the field.

"I am devastated to break my finger so near to the end of my Yorkshire season and to miss out on Australia's forthcoming tour to Kenya which would have been very important for me."

Hopefully, Lehmann's finger will have mended in time for him to join up with Australia for the ICC tournament in Sri Lanka next month.

Lehmann left Headingley doubly disappointed on Saturday, the other reason for his gloom being that the draw with Warwickshire left Yorkshire still stranded at the foot of the Championship table and without a win all season.

All realistic hope of avoiding relegation has now gone for the County Champions who would need to win their last five matches to stand

any chance of avoiding the drop.

Although Yorkshire gained a first innings lead of 80, there was never any hope of them pulling off a shock win in the limited time available and Nick Knight gratefully took full advantage of a slow pitch and uncompetitive cricket to move steadily to his fourth century of the season.

The England Test reject made 109 off 205 balls with 11 fours.