Rain frustrates final shot at the No 3 slot

Yorkshire 123-1 v Worcestershire

The weather frustrated any hopes Michael Vaughan may have entertained about giving the England selectors one last nudge as they debated the make-up of the Test squad to be announced this morning.

The former England captain, who hit 82 in a Friends Provident Trophy match last Sunday but has still to make substantial first-class runs this season, had faced only two deliveries yesterday when play was suspended for bad light. With rain soon setting in, Vaughan had to accept that the names to face the West Indies at Lord's next week will be revealed before he has the chance to further his claims against a Worcestershire side already beaten twice on their return to the First Division of the Championship.

In any event, he would have been stretched to dislodge Joe Sayers and Jacques Rudolph as Yorkshire's story of the day after the opening pair had given their county the unfamiliar experience of a decent start in far from straightforward conditions.

Under a steel grey sky, Worcestershire fancied they could do some damage even with Kabir Ali joining Simon Jones as an injured absentee, but the response of Rudolph and Sayers was impressive. The new combination at the top of Yorkshire's order registered the county's first century opening partnership for two years.

It was particularly gratifying for Sayers, whose form had dipped so severely he started this season playing for his career. He had an escape on three – a difficult chance put down by Moeen Ali at short leg off Matt Mason – but thereafter batted with something like his former resolution and deserved better than to be out on 49 after being tempted into an unexpected hook.

Still, after failing to score more than 30 in any of 23 innings since making 187 against Kent in June 2007, he cannot have been too downhearted. Rudolph resumes unbeaten on 73.