Chris has seen every minute of the Yorkshire season so far and will be off down to Lord's for the opening Test when the action begins on Thursday.

Here he answers your questions on cricket and the world of sport in general.If you have a question between now and 2pm email us here at the Yorkshire Post on yp.sport@ypn.co.uk

Hello Chris, I hope you are enjoying the season so far. Our first question today is regarding Yorkshire and their chances of success in the County Championship.

Do you think Yorkshire win the County Championship this year?

Prior to the season I thought they would struggle to achieve that aim. My tip was for them to finish fifth, one position higher than last year, and to improve across all areas of their game without, perhaps, taking the big strides necessary to win the competition outright.
Although I still think it will be tough for them to win the Championship, I have been greatly encouraged by what I have seen during the opening weeks of the season to the extent I certainly think they are capable of a top-three finish.
I base that on the strides taken by young players such as Andrew Gale and Ajmal Shahzad, who have really impressed me so far. You can always expect quality from the likes of Jacques Rudolph and Anthony McGrath, so for me, the big question was always going to be: who is going to complement their efforts? It's early days, but if Gale and Shahzad can continue in the vein they have shown, and if the likes of Joe Sayers and Adil Rashid carry on making strides, I think Yorkshire could produce a stronger showing than I had originally anticipated.
Make no mistake, it would be a brilliant achievement for them to win the title this year, and I suppose what I'm really looking for is tangible improvement. So far, Yorkshire have won one and drawn one in the Championship and won two of their first three Friends Provident Trophy games. That represents a fine start to the season and something positive to build on.

If this is Darren Gough's final year for Yorkshire, what will be his legacy to the county?

Simple - he has been one of the best fast bowlers in their history, and one of the best in English cricket full stop. Although I wasn't one of those people who thought he'd only come back to Yorkshire for one last pay day, nor did I expect him to produce as strong a showing as he did last summer. For me, it just emphasised his commitment to, and love for, the club. Great characters such as Darren Gough have always attracted criticism and, I suppose, a certain amount of envy and controversy. But when you look at his career in the cold light of day, and when you take stock of what he has done for Yorkshire, I think you have to take your hat off to him and celebrate the fact we have all been privileged to watch him play. Even now, at 37, he still puts his heart and soul into it and it would be entirely fitting if Yorkshire could send him into retirement with some silverware. That will be a big motivation for the players - and I certainly think Darren Gough would deserve it.

Yorkshire have a number of exciting young players at present, who for you will be the ones to watch over the coming years, and are there any hidden gems in the academy set-up?

The obvious one is Adil Rashid, although my personal view is that he's maybe two years off being an England regular. I certainly think it would be a good idea for him to go on tour with England in the winter to the Caribbean, just to be around the party and get a flavour of what international cricket's all about, but I would also like to see him get more experience in county cricket. I think one of Yorkshire's most under-rated young players is Richard Pyrah. He's made his name as a one-day performer so far, but I can think of several other counties where he'd probably be a regular in the Championship side. I hope his time will come in the first-class game because he's a very handy all-rounder - a player who could perhaps go on to perform a Mark Ealham-type role. As for the academy, I think it's unfair to single out youngsters at such an early age, but there's plenty of talent knocking about from what I've seen.

Yorkshire have made a promising start to the FP Trophy, are we going to see a real challenge in the short-form of the game from Martyn Moxon's side this year?

I certainly think they've got a great chance of doing well in the FP Trophy. If they can beat Lancashire at Old Trafford on Sunday, that would be three wins out of four in the competition, and still with two games to come against Scotland. I think victory on Sunday would give them one foot in the quarter-finals and then, from there, it's anybody's competition. What I really want to see from Yorkshire in one-day cricket this year is more consistency. They've got the raw materials, there's no doubt about that, but consistency is the key to winning tournaments.

Onto England Chris, this is a big summer for Michael Vaughan. Is his job as captain in serious jeopardy?

Not at the moment, but it could be unless he starts to produce the run-scoring form of which he is capable. It's a peculiar situation with Michael. Hand on heart, there have been times when, if he was just an ordinary player, you would have to question whether he was worth a place in the side. Some might question that right now, seeing he has managed only 135 runs in seven innings for Yorkshire since returning from the tour of New Zealand. At the same time, we all know that, at his best, he is one of the finest batsmen in the world, while his captaincy skills are proven beyond doubt. No one should be immune, however, and Michael needs a good summer to enable him to fulfil his dream of leading England next year in the Ashes. He could certainly not wish for more agreeable opponents than New Zealand to get his eye in over the next few weeks.

If he were to lose the captaincy, who would take over the role?

I suppose it would have to be Paul Collingwood, but I don't really think there's a stand-out candidate, which is one of the biggest things in Michael's favour. I wouldn't give it to Andrew Strauss or Kevin Pietersen, and there are no obvious alternatives out there. Perhaps England would have to recall Chris Read and make him captain. It would never happen, of course, but, judging by the way he led Nottinghamshire against Yorkshire last week, and in light of his magnificent century, it's something I would consider if I were a selector.

And what of Andrew Flintoff, how much belief is there that we can have an injury-free year out of him?

Nothing's certain. He's as likely to stay on the park all summer as break down again. You can't predict whether people are going to be injured or not. If you're looking for encouragement, I suppose the way Michael Vaughan's knee has stood up in recent times is heartening. Many people thought he would struggle to play again following his fourth knee operation, but he has managed it so far - touch wood. Hopefully the same will be true for Flintoff as he battles back from his ankle operation.

You've made your feelings known about Matthew Hoggard and how much he deserves a recall. What about Steve Harmison? How far away is he from the player he was two or three summers ago, or will we not see the same from him again?

If I were Steve Harmison, I would concentrate solely on playing for Durham and not worry about international cricket again. It got to the stage last winter where I felt genuinely sorry for the bloke. He copped a huge amount of criticism and, quite frankly, why put yourself through the mill? Life's too short. On his day he is still a magnificent bowler, but I think he should retire from international cricket and stick to playing for his beloved Durham. Although it would be disappointing for him to walk away from the highest stage, I honestly believe he would be happier in the long run. At the same time, only he can make that decision, and it isn't for anyone else to tell him what to do.

What do you expect England to achieve this summer against New Zealand and South Africa, in terms of results and performances?

I expect them to beat New Zealand comfortably and I honestly think the South Africa series could go either way. The big thing for me is performances. I want to see England play well against New Zealand - not just beat them. And if they go down to South Africa playing well, I don't think anyone would have a problem with that. England aren't world-beaters at the moment and I don't think we can expect too much, but I think we can expect more than they produced during the winter in Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Onto you, how much are you looking forward to the Test match v South Africa at Headingley?

I'd be looking forward to it a lot more if I didn't have any writing to do while the match was on! Seriously, it should be a cracking game, and I think the South Africa series in general will be a really good spectacle.

And finally, we all know you're cricket mad, but if you weren't watching cricket, what sport would you be watching?

The only other sport I follow to any religious degree is football. I love watching Lincoln City, my home town team, and my biggest sporting dream would be to see them take part in an FA Cup final. As us Imps' fans hold street parties simply if the team get past round one, however, I'm not holding my breath. I also like snooker and I can just about tolerate tennis during Wimbledon fortnight, but I'm certainly not a sports junkie. I don't like golf, I haven't got any interest in rugby and I can't understand what anyone sees in horse racing - apart from the chance of winning a few quid.