Fast bowler, Steve Kirby, now fully fit again after an ankle injury, will play for Yorkshire in the one-day Roses friendly at Old Trafford tomorrow - the Tykes' last full scale practice match before they open their Championship season against Essex at Headingley in a week's time.

Kirby replaces Chris Gilbert in the squad and his inclusion against Lancashire will be Yorkshire's only change from the side which yesterday thrashed Bradford-Leeds Universities' Centre of Excellence by 481 runs at Headingley.

Kirby was pulled out of MCC's curtain-raiser with county champions Sussex at Lord's after still feeling the effects of a blow on the ankle from Richard Blakey while practising in the indoor school but his withdrawal was more of a precautionary measure by Yorkshire who wanted to take no unnecessary risks with their leading paceman who has had a busy winter of cricket.

Although the spirited Bradford-Leeds side were no real test for Yorkshire they showed plenty of courage throughout the match and they even had a hero yesterday in Aire-Wharfe batsman, Jon Siddall, who held the tail together and scored a fine unbeaten 75 before running out of partners.

The Kirkstall Educational batsman collected eight fours in his first half-century for the Centre and he then had the satisfaction of smacking England off-spinner Richard Dawson for a couple of sixes over mid-wicket with confidently executed strokes.

Siddall's last wicket stand with Phil Eaglestone added 43 runs, the students' highest partnership in either innings. Chris Silverwood took two of the remaining five wickets to go down in the morning to finish with three for 36 and there were two wickets apiece in the innings for John Blain,

Tim Bresnan and Dawson. Blain's six wickets in the match at a cost of 68 runs indicated that Yorkshire have acted shrewdly in signing the former Northamptonshire paceman and another player to feel well satisfied with his overall performance was wicketkeeper, Simon Guy, who claimed eight catches and a stumping as well as hitting a blistering 90.

It was a display which justified Yorkshire's longstanding decision to play him ahead of Richard Blakey at the start of the Championship programme but Guy is taking no notice of any such guarantee.

"I have been told nothing myself and I am taking nothing for granted," he said. "I really want to be in that team for the opener against Essex but until the side is announced I will consider myself to be still fighting for a place.

"I have worked on some technical details with my batting this winter and I am delighted how I played against Bradford-Leeds but I need to make absolutely sure that I retain my form."

Yorkshire (v Lancashire) from: Wood, White, Taylor, Gale, Lumb, Craven, Guy, Dawson, Bresnan, Silverwood, Kirby, Blain.

* MCC centurion James Foster is confident he is a much wiser cricketer in 2004 than he was just 12 months ago.

''I didn't learn last season. I didn't see why bowlers should bowl well at me," he said.

"But sometimes they do, and instead of just trying to attack you have to wait and come through the tough spells.''