Yorkshire captain David Byas has been awarded a benefit season with the county next year.

The 35-year-old from Kilham, near Driffield, made his York-shire debut in 1986, was awarded his cap five years later.

Byas, who became skipper at the start of the 1995 season, has so far played in 219 first-class matches, scoring just over 12,000 runs with 24 centuries.

Denholme-born Ian Fisher is included in Yorkshire's squad of 12 for the championship match against Somerset, which starts at Taunton tomorrow.

The 23-year-old left-arm slow bowler gets his chance because off-spinner James Middle-brook's badly dislocated a finger will keep him out for around three weeks.

Middlebrook suffered the injury while substituting against Gloucestershire for Richard Harden after the ex-Somerset man had broken a bone in his left hand while batting - an injury which sidelines him until at least early June.

Fisher will play at Taunton if Yorkshire decide against going into the game with five seamers.

Middlebrook is probably the preferred slow bowler at the moment, and there will be further competition later in the season when left-armer Chris Ellison and off-spinner Richard Dawson - both outstanding prospects - have finished at Exeter University.

Anthony McGrath comes in for Harden while Chris Silver-wood replaces Darren Gough, who joins up with the England World Cup squad at the weekend.

Gavin Hamilton is available for this game and the CGU Premier League match at Worcester on Monday before joining the Scotland party.

Yorkshire from: Vaughan, Blewett, Byas, Wood, McGrath, White, Blakey, Hamilton, Silverwood, Hoggard, Sidebottom, Fisher.

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