Yorkshire's new South African-born wicketkeeper-batsman, Gerard Brophy, who has joined them from Northamptonshire on a two-year contract, will be welcomed to Headingley on Monday by director of cricket, David Byas.

Brophy, 29, who holds a British passport and is not classed as an overseas player, is a batsman of proven ability and he should be able to help shore up the middle order.

He played his first Championship match for Northamptonshire in 2002 and was their regular wicketkeeper in 2004 but was forced out of the side last season by Riki Wessels, the 19-year-old son of Northants' coach, Kepler, who played Test cricket for Australia and South Africa.

Ironically, Wessels seized his opportunity early in the season after Brophy had broken a finger while standing up to the stumps in Northamptonshire's Championship match at Headingley, which Yorkshire won by ten wickets. It was a game which Brophy will want to forget because he had his leg-stump removed second ball by fellow-countryman Deon Kruis in the first innings and was then unable to bat in the second because of his injury.

Brophy played for Transvaal B in 1996-97 and Free Strate from 1999-01, captaining them in his second season. He toured Zimbabwe with the South African Academy in 1998-99 and in 2000 he turned out for Ireland in their NatWest Trophy game against Shropshire.

Brophy has so far played in 53 first-class matches, scoring 2,508 runs at an average of 34.83. He has hit five centuries and 12 half-centuries and his two highest scores are 185 for the South Africa Academy v the President's XI in Harare and 181 for Northants against Sussex at Hove in 2004. Behind the stumps, Brophy has held 125 catches and pulled off seven stumpings.

Yorkshire did not give a new contract last month to Ismail Dawood, despite the Dewsbury-born wicketkeeper holding 35 catches and making a stumping in his 12 Championship appearances.

It was felt that Dawood did not contribute sufficiently with the bat and Yorkshire decided to look for an experienced wicketkeeper-batsman when Dawood's replacement, Simon Guy, also found runs difficult to come by.

Guy, however, batted particularly well and kept wicket efficiently in the Totesport League and he will be anxious to show Brophy that he is not prepared to sacrifice his first-team place without a fight.

* Former England batsman Robert Key believes captaining Kent next season can improve his prospects of getting back into the international picture.

The 26-year-old was yesterday named as captain of the county, with Min Patel revealed as his vice-captain.

Key immediately set his sights on regaining his place in the England side, having succeeded David Fulton as Kent skipper.

''I am thrilled to have been asked to captain Kent and look forward to giving it my best shot,'' said Key, who played the last of his 15 Tests in the last tour of South Africa and has been left out of winter trip to Pakistan.

''I remain committed to getting back into the England side and am sure that my added responsibilities at Kent will help me do this.''

The county finished fifth in the Frizzell County Championship last season but a disappointing eighth in totesport League Division Two.

Key is hoping the team can improve their one-day form under his leadership, adding: ''Min and I will work well together.

''He has committed himself to all forms of cricket and I hope we can play positive championship cricket and make amends of our recent poor performances in one-day competitions.''

Kent's chairman of cricket Graham Johnson added: ''We conducted a rigorous process before reaching this conclusion; we studied a range of captaincy options, including overseas candidates.

''We decided to ask Rob to take on the role and I am delighted he has accepted the challenge of leading us in 2006.

''We need to redouble our efforts in the championship whilst reinventing ourselves as a one-day force. We were impressed by how much desire both Rob and Min have to want to shape and be part of a successful Kent team."