Yorkshire have been a ship without a captain as they have set sail towards their defence of the County Championship title.

With coach Wayne Clark at the helm since their pre-season tour of Grenada, they have not been entirely rudderless, but all aboard have been eagerly awaiting today's arrival of new skipper Darren Lehmann.

It would have been better all round if Lehmann had been available to build up spirits from the start of the month. But Yorkshire are only too relieved that he has made it in time for the Championship opener against Surrey next week rather than three weeks into the season - as would have been the case if Australia's tour of Zimbabwe had gone ahead.

Clark is happy with Yorkshire's preparations but admitted he was very pleased when he heard that Lehmann's arrival would not be delayed into May.

"I think he will lift the players and get a lot out of them because they have so much respect for his ability," said Clark.

"We get on very well together and we both have a very competitive and positive approach. He naturally has some ideas of his own but there are unlikely to be any real problems between us."

With David Byas last year announcing his retirement soon after leading the Tykes to the Championship, the Aussie influence at Yorkshire is now greater than ever with Lehmann and Clark calling most of the shots.

Whenever Lehmann gets called away by Australia this summer, fellow countryman and former Durham left-hander Simon Katich will be available to stand in his shoes, while off-spinner Andy Gray, another from Down Under, is already not far from being a fixture in the side.

Yorkshire are certain to be worth watching under Lehmann's command and he won't allow the grass to grow under their feet, but whether he can hold the side together as well as Byas managed to do remains to be seen.

Tactically, Byas may not have been the greatest captain Yorkshire ever had, and it was because Clark and others felt this to be the case that the Kilham farmer was gently shown the door.

But Byas's big strength was in his determination for the side to succeed and the discipline which he imposed on and off the field. His bluntness did not always make him popular, particularly with those he thought were swinging the lead, but his team were always focused on the job in hand.

Lehmann will be adventurous and inspirational, but he will also have to be tough and may need to take a step back from being one of the boys, which will not be easy for such an outgoing character.

It will be a major triumph both for himself and the team if he can help them retain the Championship, but the odds on success in the one-day arena should be better than under the Byas regime.

The brilliance which Lehmann showed in smashing 1416 Championship runs at an average of 83.29 did not diminish during the winter when he was welcomed back into Australia's ranks.

Lehmann will be spurred on by knowing that the more runs he scores the more chance he has of figuring prominently in Australia's World Cup campaign in South Africa next February.

Matthew Wood resurrected his career last season by topping 1,000 Championship runs for the first time and he is looking to do at least as well in 2002, while Michael Lumb is favourite at the moment to take Byas's No 3 spot.

Clark has already accepted that Yorkshire will see little of Darren Gough, Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard, but beneficiary Craig White may more often be available now that he has lost his central contract with England.

White in prime form is just the sort of powerful all-rounder which every county needs, but Gavin Hamilton and Gary Fellows know it is just as important that they play with distinction.

Yorkshire still have reserves of fast bowling which are the envy of all counties, but they have lost some of their back-up with the release of Paul Hutchison, who has joined Sussex. It places extra responsibility on Ryan Sidebottom.

It will be interesting to see if Richard Dawson continues the development which saw him become an England player last winter while still uncapped by his county. If Gray is as good as Clark makes out then Dawson will have to watch his back because Yorkshire will be unable to squeeze in two off-spinners too often.

All in all it is going to be a fascinating season, but Lehmann needs to be just as solid a rock as Byas to stop Yorkshire from straying on to shifting sands.