Yorkshire 350 & 301-8 dec v Hampshire 248 & 46-0: Vaughan back in the runs to keep Warne in check

To a nation pre-occupied for a month with the Rooney toe and the Vaughan knee, the news of the latter is that it withstood an innings of 135 minutes while the England captain scored 56 runs on a third-day pitch against some hostile bowlers who included Shane Warne. His four boundaries, two of them clips through the slip area, were neatly and crisply executed.

He moved fluently and looked comfortable even if his timing was a little off - he survived a vehement lbw appeal from Billy Taylor, might have been caught off a straight loft off Warne and cut Dimitri Mascarenhas only a fingertip over third slip.

Vaughan said: "I felt pretty good on a trickyish wicket and I'm very happy with the way things are going."

A 4,000 crowd enjoyed the warm sun, watching Vaughan share a second- wicket stand of 127 with Anthony McGrath, whose magical form continued with another century, taking his aggregate to 632, ahead of even Darren Lehmann.

The pair made Hampshire pay heavily for some profligate batting that enabled Yorkshire to build upon a handsome first-innings lead of 102. The pitch is not difficult, but the odd ball does the unexpected, hence even Lehmann taking 30 minutes over his first four runs.

Warne bowled an unbroken spell of 22 overs from the Rugby End and had the satisfaction of inducing a slip catch from Lehmann. He might have had another two wickets and did dismiss McGrath in his second stint before Tim Bresnan drove and pulled off him for four and six off successive balls to herald the declaration.

Needing 404 to win, Hampshire might have remembered that Yorkshire made exactly that total to beat Leicestershire in the fourth innings last summer.