LONG-SERVING Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth will be batting on the other side of the world later this week, after being selected to play in Australia's Big Bash League.

He has joined Perth Scorchers, and will be available for the Western Australia outfit for the first half of the competition, which begins this morning.

Perth's first game is on Saturday, against the Sydney Sixers.

It has been a tricky build-up for the Scorchers, losing Phil Salt, Laurie Evans and Mitch Marsh for a season.

Lyth has been brought in as a direct replacement for the former, who has withdrawn from the competition with a shoulder injury.

The reason the Whitby-born left-hander is only available for the early stages of the BBL is that he has also signed for Desert Vipers in the new ILT20 in the UAE, which takes place next month.

Even though his stay in Western Australia is set to be brief, it will be a welcome return to the city for Lyth, with him having played half a summer of grade cricket in 2011-12 for local side Scarborough, based on the Perth coast.