It's early days yet, but the new powerbase of David Byas and Craig White already seems to be working for Yorkshire.

The respected duo have managed to instil greater discipline and commitment into the playing staff in the run-up to the new season and there is a strong feeling within the club that the team will make amends for the disappointments of the past two years.

Byas is back at Headingley for the first time since leading Yorkshire to the Championship title in 2001 and with White having taken over the reins of captaincy from Anthony McGrath it means that Yorkshire are firmly under the control of two of Scarborough Cricket Club's most celebrated names.

White says they are singing from the same hymn sheet in their plan to put Yorkshire back on the cricketing map and the pair are also alike in several other ways.

Although both are friendly and approachable, neither is too comfortable when thrust into the public gaze and they much prefer quietly getting down to work with the players rather than having the spotlight turned on themselves.

Yorkshire were too woolly minded last season and not sufficiently focussed but they won't stray off course with Byas watching their every move.

White, also, is a much tougher character than some would have believe, and the players will work hard for him because they know that whatever he asks of them he has been through the same mill himself.

He has batted anywhere from one to seven in the order and he has made himself into an international all-rounder with the deceptive pace of his bowling but he can, if he wishes, also send down decent off-spin.

It's this all-round versatility that the players have warmed to and if he can manage to find that extra bit of self-confidence which all good captains need then he will turn out to be an inspired choice of leader. Sometimes self-doubt has crept into White's game in the past but there is no place for that now - and no need for it.

Byas has refused to make any promises to the fans for the coming season but he has revealed that his vision is to make Yorkshire the finest and best run club in the country by 2006, so it will be surprising if he does not believe they can win at least one trophy this season.

They would most probably have gone up last year if rain had not intervened at tea-time on the last day of the season when they were in the box seat against Gloucestershire.

Ironically, Australian Ian Harvey did much to thwart Yorkshire in that game with a first innings 70 and half-a-dozen wickets in the match, but now he is wearing a White Rose cap and will be a vital part of their rejuvenation plan.

The big worry at the moment is just how much of the season the Aussie pair of Darren Lehmann and Harvey will be available and Yorkshire are anxiously awaiting the selection of Australia's squads for the tour of Zimbabwe next month.

With the in-form Matthew Wood and White backing up the Australians, Yorkshire should not be short of runs, particularly if Michael Lumb strikes it rich again and Anthony McGrath plays more for his county than country.

Now that Ryan Sidebottom and Darren Gough have moved on and with Matthew Hoggard a permanent England fixture, the fast bowling could be a bit thin if stretched by injuries, but the signing of 25-year-old paceman John Blain from Northamptonshire could turn out to be a shrewd piece of business.