Hoggard fit for Hampshire clash

Matthew Hoggard is fit for his county's Championship opener

Yorkshire are without captain Darren Gough but England seam bowler Matthew Hoggard has been passed fit to face Hampshire at Headingley Carnegie.

Gough has missed his side’s pre-season with a back strain and continued his comeback to fitness for the second XI today.

Hoggard has recovered from a stiff neck which kept him out of Sunday’s Friends Provident Trophy defeat to Durham and returns for Yorkshire’s LV County Championship Division One opener.

He is expected to line up alongside England captain Michael Vaughan, with both centrally contracted players made available by the ECB.

Director of cricket Martyn Moxon could name the side that drew against Leeds/Bradford UCCE last week with seamer Ajmal Shahzad making up a 12-man squad.

Batsman Chris Taylor is absent with a hamstring injury while medium-pacer Steve Patterson is recovering well from a knee operation 10 days ago.

South Africa bowler Morne Morkel will join the county on Sunday but fellow overseas player Rana Naved-ul-Hasan remains absent as he aims to prove his fitness following a serious shoulder injury.

Skipper Dimitri Mascarenhas leads Hampshire for the last time before his two-week stint in the Indian Premier League.

Mascarenhas joins Jaipur-based outfit Rajasthan Royals on Sunday until May 12, the team captained by former Hants’ leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Director of cricket Tim Tremlett has named the same line-up that drew with LV County Champions Sussex in the Championship opener last week.

There is no place for former Zimbabwe all-rounder Sean Ervine who recovered from a hamstring injury to play in Sunday’s Friends Provident Trophy defeat to Somerset.

Kevin Pietersen is again unavailable.