Vaughan suffers for Yorkshire

23 April 2008

Michael Vaughan drove Shane Bond for three fours during his innings of 19 © Getty Images

Michael Vaughan’s struggle for pre-Test form continued with another early dismissal for Yorkshire at Headingley.

The England captain, who managed just two in as many innings against the students of Bradford/Leeds last week, perished for 19 moments before lunch in his side’s opening LV County Championship contest against Hampshire.

Having driven former New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond for a third four from the previous delivery, Vaughan went after another full one and edged straight to third slip.

He now has a maximum of three first-class innings - under his current planned schedule - ahead of the npower Test series against New Zealand, which begins at Lord’s on May 15.

“He looked fantastic so it was a shame he couldn’t go on,” said Yorkshire director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

“I think it was full enough to drive, he maybe didn’t quite get over the ball.

“But the pleasing thing from his point of view was that he looked in good shape, his balance looked good and his footwork looked sharp.

“He’s been working really hard in the nets and hopefully he’ll get some more time in the middle in the second innings.”

Vaughan was Yorkshire’s sole loss in a reduced morning session and fell before James Whittaker, one of England’s three full-time selectors, had diverted to the ground.

Dimitri Mascarenhas made the most of the conditions at a damp Headingley Carnegie

Whittaker had been on his way to Durham’s match with Surrey at Chester-le-Street when, persuaded by the poor weather further north, he turned his attention to events in Leeds.

Another England international Dimitri Mascarenhas, Hampshire’s new captain, sent Yorkshire crashing to 54 for three with two quick wickets after the interval and it took an unbeaten 99 from Andrew Gale to even out the first-day honours at 270 for six.

Mascarenhas, playing his final match before heading for the riches of the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, nibbled the ball around impressively in the bowler-friendly conditions.

He was rewarded with the dismissals of Joe Sayers, who played on, and Anthony McGrath, caught by an alert Michael Brown at short-leg via an inside edge which flicked the pad.

At that point, Hampshire had a sniff of capitalising more thoroughly on winning the toss.
But a 109-run stand between Jacques Rudolph and Gale guided the hosts to respectability.

Both left-handers cut comprehensively whenever the Hampshire attack dropped short and although Rudolph celebrated his landmark first, Gale’s effort came at a quicker pace, off 76 deliveries, arriving when he drove the second of three boundaries in one Bond over.

Just as in the first session, however, Yorkshire lost a wicket on the stroke of the interval as Rudolph edged the final ball low to slip off spinner Greg Lamb.

With batting undoubtedly easier after the early cloud cover gave way to afternoon sunshine, Gale’s fondness for the pull came to prominence.

But it might have cost him a second championship hundred when, on 96, a delivery from Chris Tremlett with the second new ball hit the splice and looped back towards the bowler, who got his fingers between ball and turf but could not hold on.

Andrew Gale played very confidently to reach 99 not out by the close on the first day

Teenage all-rounder Adil Rashid, promoted a place up the order in first-class cricket this summer, succumbed to Bond’s pace when, having guided a four off the face of the bat, a thinner contact travelled through to wicketkeeper Nic Pothas.

Yorkshire’s gloveman Gerard Brophy accompanied Gale through to the penultimate over of the day, contributing a breezy 40 to a 66-run stand before playing around a full one from the lanky Tremlett.

Early morning rain delayed the start until 12.15pm and Vaughan was soon tested by Bond when, in the third over, the ball flew from a defensive push to short-leg Michael Brown, whose reaction to dropping it suggested it was a chance.

Vaughan got off the mark when he turned Tremlett, wayward in his initial spell, off his pads for three and took two boundaries - a square drive followed by a crisp pull - in Bond’s fifth over.

The first of that pair took him into double figures but the spell of fluency proved a false dawn.

“We would have bowled first,” confirmed Moxon. “The pitch was damp and the overhead conditions were ideal for seam bowling.

“It hasn’t done a massive amount, but there’s enough to keep you interested.

“There’s no great pace in the pitch and now the sun’s out, it should turn out to be a pretty good surface.”

While Vaughan sought some semblance of form, international colleague Kevin Pietersen, of Hampshire, is still resting following winter exertions.

Another of England’s winter tourists, Matthew Hoggard, attempting to prove his case for an international recall, was passed fit after ricking his neck last week.