Anthony McGrath will be given extra responsibilities against Sussex at Arundel today as County Champions Yorkshire search for their first win of the season.

In a bid to end the depressing sequence of results which has brought five defeats and a draw from six starts, McGrath will be pushed up the order to take over the No 3 spot from the uncapped Michael Lumb.

McGrath, who plays Bradford League cricket for East Bierley, struck good form in the previous match, which was also against Sussex, making 71 in the first innings before falling lbw to medium-pacer Billy Taylor.

Lumb, however, followed up his first innings duck with only a single and Yorkshire think too much pressure may have been placed on his inexperienced shoulders going in at the fall of the first wicket.

"McGrath is a mature batsman who opened for a while with Michael Vaughan and we hope he can do a good job of going in at No 3," said cricket chairman, Bob Platt.

"If he does, then it will help relieve some of the pressure on Lumb who is an attacking player and he will be able to go for his strokes coming in later on."

It's a big game for McGrath but possibly even bigger for opener Matthew Wood who has scored only 81 runs in nine Championship innings and is in danger of being dropped.

Waiting in the wings is Chris Taylor who impressed with 52 not out in the first match of the season against Surrey but has so far been unable to win back his place in the side.

Yorkshire travelled to Arundel with two off-spinners in their squad in Richard Dawson and Andy Gray and both may get a game if the conditions are right.

Yorkshire are without England players Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard who will be with England for the NatWest Series against Sri Lanka and India.