Yorkshire are aiming to have Headingley completely re-developed in time for the next home Ashes series in 2009.

That is the goal of retiring chief executive Colin Graves, who recently acted as guarantor when Leeds City Council agreed to loan the club £9m towards the purchase of the ground.

"I have achieved what I set out to do, which was to help Yorkshire buy Headingley, and all that remains to be done now is to rebuild the shared north-south stand and then erect new dressing rooms and a media centre at the Kirkstall Lane end," said Graves. "These are two very big operations which must be done more or less in tandem and it is not possible yet to give an exact date as to when the work will start.

"But we are working towards having everything completed for when Australia next visit in 2009.

"Unlike last year, when Headingley was off the rota, an Ashes Test will definitely be staged at the venue and the 3,000 extra seats in the new north-south stand will mean that the ground capacity will have risen to 20,000."

With Yorkshire's new chief executive Stewart Regan due to take up his post around the start of the new season, Graves is looking forward to taking a step back from his front-line duties and concentrating on his full-time job as chairman of Costcutter Supermarkets.

But he intends to remain closely involved at Headingley and as well as staying on the management board is expected to succeed Robin Smith as

club chairman at the annual meeting in March, when Regan will also join the board.

Meanwhile, Guiseley-based Tony Bowes, son of former Yorkshire and England bowler Bill Bowes, has been elected a life member of the Yorkshire Schools' Cricket Association after retiring as the Associa-tion's vice-chairman and standing down as manager of the under-15s second XI, a post he had held for the past 15 years.

Gareth Dawson, brother of Yorkshire off-spinner, Richard, takes over as under-15s second XI manager while former Derbyshire bowler Robert Wincer becomes second XI assistant team manager.