Yorkshire were virtually at full strength today for their winner-takes-all clash with Durham at Headingley in the final Liverpool Victoria Championship match of the season.
The stakes for what promises to be a thrilling contest could not be higher, with the victors safeguarding their top division status while the losers will almost certainly drop into Division Two.
Nottinghamshire could theoretically go down alongside Middlesex but the likeliest scenario is they will survive along with either Yorkshire or Durham.
Only half a point separated the two sides when they sprang into action and both knew that every bonus point would be precious.
Yorkshire had the prolific Anthony McGrath fit again after the touch-rugby shin injury which sidelined him from the Notts match. He replaced Andrew Gale.
England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard was again forced to rest his slight abdominal strain but making a welcome return to the side was paceman Tim Bresnan, who has recovered from the back problem which kept him out for over two months.
Bresnan proved his fitness for Yorkshire Phoenix on Sunday by taking two Hampshire Hawks wickets with his first seven balls. He later powered his way to 25 from just 17 deliveries with two fours and two big sixes.
Although Yorkshire would undoubtedly have liked to play Hoggard, it is probably of greater benefit to them that Bresnan is fit and raring to go.
Hoggard never holds back for Yorkshire but one is forced to question whether he could stretch every sinew with the forthcoming Ashes series in mind.
He will be one of England's main strike weapons down under' and coach Duncan Fletcher would not want him to go flat out for Yorkshire and risk picking up a serious injury.
His England colleague Steve Harmison was also missing from Durham's line-up today after England's management insisted he allow himself more time for further rehabilitation on his back injury.
For the first time in their history, Yorkshire are now regularly playing two leg-spinners in Mark Lawson and Adil Rashid.
Director of cricket David Byas hopes they can make as big an impact as against Nottinghamshire last week, when they shared 14 wickets in the Tykes' 68-run win.
Although Yorkshire are desperate to preserve their Division One status, Byas would have preferred some county other than Durham to have been their opponents.
"It is disappointing that a northern side will go down but that's life - and let's hope that it isn't us," he said.
"I am just hoping that Mark and Adil can continue turning in the sort of performances that they have managed in recent matches.
"Having two leg-spinners in the side makes for very exciting cricket and brings another dimension to the game."
Lawson has grabbed 25 wickets in six Championship matches at 27.16 runs apiece, while Rashid has 20 wickets at 21.30 runs from four matches.
As well as relishing the thought of watching the spin pair bowl, Yorkshire fans also get a last chance to see the genius of Darren Lehmann at work. The left-hander flies back to Australia on Sunday at the end of his contract and will not be returning.
Yorkshire (from): White, Sayers, McGrath, Lumb, Lehmann, Rashid, Bresnan, Guy, Lawson, Gillespie, Kruis, Patterson.
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