Gough out for desperate Yorkshire

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan's absence leaves a pace conundrum for Yorkshire

Yorkshire will start their crucial LV County Championship Division One survival clash against Sussex without Darren Gough, who has announced his retirement from first-class cricket.

Club captain Gough has opted out of the match at Hove, bringing down the curtain on a season blighted by recurring back injuries and other niggles.

The 38-year-old former England fast bowler had boasted after last week's match with Somerset at Scarborough, that the “opposition said that is the quickest they have faced all season. I’d like to finish on that note.”

The drawn match leaves Yorkshire teetering on the brink of relegation alongside Surrey.

Yorkshire trail Sussex and Kent by four points, and Lancashire by five, so a positive result for either side at Hove means the losers are likely to face the drop.

Fellow paceman Rana Naved-ul-Hasan is also absent with a knee problem and Deon Kruis has a tight hamstring, so the vacant bowlers' places are likely to be taken by Steve Patterson or Ajmal Shahzad.

David Wainwright could also come into contention if Martyn Moxon prefers a second frontline spin option.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who hoped to use the final first-class match as an attempt to prove his form ahead of the tour of India, also misses out. Vaughan has a strained side and a sore knee.

Anthony McGrath will replace Gough as skipper, after he passed a fitness test on his hamstring this morning.

Anthony McGrath passed a fitness test on his hamstring and will captain the Yorkshire side

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Jonathan Bairstow, the wicketkeeping son of former Yorkshire gloveman David, is in line to make his first-class debut as a batsman, as Gerard Brophy is expected to be behind the stumps.

Director of professional cricket Moxon said: “I have every confidence in this team, we have to go to Hove looking to win.

“We know a high-scoring draw might be good enough but we can’t think like that, we will be going down there all out for victory.”

Sussex have added Corey Collymore and Tom Smith to their squad.

In what will be Chris Adams’ last game before handing over the captaincy to Michael Yardy, the hosts will want to make sure they do not suffer the ignominy of the drop after being crowned champions in 2006 and 2007.

Jason Lewry and Mohammad Sami each took five wickets in the draw against Durham last week, while Chris Nash set up a platform for the batsmen with an innings of 96.

Matt Prior also chipped in with 58 and will want to impress the England selectors with another innings of substance before they announce their Test squad to tour India on Monday.