Andrew Caddick and Darren Gough - county-ed out.

Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick, the expected spearhead of England's attack in the forthcoming Third Test Match at Manchester, have been asked to stand down from this week's round of county championship matches.

Although they are the only ones of the 14 centrally-contracted players to do so, Derbyshire have acquiesced to a similar request for Dominic Cork to rest from the match against Kent at Canterbury. These three players will accompany Nasser Hussain, Robert Croft, Graham Thorpe and Alec Stewart - none of whom have schedule county commitments - for a closed training session at Old Trafford prior to their next clash with West Indies on 3rd August.

Thus Yorkshire can still call upon Michael Vaughan and Craig White, and Lancashire play Michael Atherton, in the important Roses match at Leeds which will have a crucial impact on the chase to overhaul Surrey at the top of Division One.

The remaining members of England's 13-man Test squad will also be expected to report at Old Trafford on Monday if their championship matches end before the scheduled finish on the same day.