DARREN LEHMANN has congratulated Yorkshire on 150 not out and backed them to celebrate the year in style.

As Yorkshire step up their bid for the LV= County Championship title against Nottinghamshire at Scarborough today, the club’s finest import is in England coaching with the Australia A squad.

Lehmann has made a seamless transition from player to coach with the Queensland Bulls and the Brisbane Heat Twenty20 team.

In late February, all three Australian domestic titles – the Sheffield Shield, the Ryobi Cup and the Big Bash League – were housed at Queensland Cricket’s headquarters.

Having won the four-day Shield title in 2011/12 with the Bulls, he added the oneday and Twenty20 titles of 2012/13 with the Bulls and the Heat.

But now he is keen to see Yorkshire follow suit and bring some silverware back to Headingley.

“Firstly I would like to say congratulations to the club for 150 years,” said Lehmann, who scored an incredible 14,599 runs from 232 matches in all forms for Yorkshire as their overseas player between 1997 and 2006, including 84 fifties and 34 hundreds.

“From my point of view I love the club, and it’s a second home for me. I formed a really close bond both with the club and the people there.

“It would be a fantastic achievement for everybody involved with Yorkshire if they could win it this year of all years. They’ve started really well, but the key is to keep the momentum going.

They certainly have the squad to do it.”

Lehmann enjoyed success at Scarborough. Three of his 12 home hundreds for the county came at North Marine Road, including two against Notts – in the Championship in 1998 and then in the Sunday League in 2001.

The one in the Sunday League was a brilliant 191 not out off 103 balls – scored just two days after clinching the Championship title when the champagne was still flowing. The left-hander even supped champagne from his helmet moments before walking out to bat.

Lehmann won two trophies in his time with Yorkshire. Added to the Championship win in 2001 at Scarborough, he played a part in the C&G Trophy success the following year.

However, he only played up to the semi-final due to unavailability for the final.

Compatriot Matthew Elliott replaced him in mid-August and scored a brilliant matchwinning century against Somerset at Lord’s.

“Every time I look back on my time at Yorkshire, they are all fond memories,” he said. “The Championship win in 2001 is right up there, as is the C&G Trophy win.

Any time you win something, it’s a great feeling.

“The Championship win is the biggest one for me because we hadn’t won it for so long, and we did it in style – we did it comfortably.

“But also seeing the team develop as players, the Vaughans, the McGraths, my brother-in-law Craig White, was very satisfying. Now you look at the current group in Root and Bairstow, who are coming through in a similar way. It’s great to see them doing well.”

Alex Lees has replaced fellow opener Joe Sayers in a 12-man squad for today’s match.

Yorkshire 12: Gale (c), Ashraf, Ballance, Hodd (w), Jaques, Lees, Lyth, Patterson, Pyrah, Rashid, Sidebottom, Wardlaw.

􀁧 Australia expect Michael Clarke to be fit to face England in their Champions Trophy opener, despite the captain being sent to London for specialist treatment on a injury.

Clarke has had long-standing back trouble, and the issue flared up again before the final Test of Australia’s 4-0 series defeat in India two months ago, and he has been unable to play a part in their Champions Trophy warm-up games, including yesterday’s crushing 243-run defeat to India in Cardiff.

But George Bailey, who led the side in Clarke’s absence, said: ‘‘It is just precautionary.

It’s his back which is always going to be the issue with Michael.’’