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Vaughan's class rattles Derbyshire

Derek Hodgson
Friday 05 May 2000 00:00 BST
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While France reeled in stunned disbelief yesterday at the news that Geoffrey Boycott will never set foot there again, Yorkshire remained calm. The former England opener was seen at the pre-season lunch and will no doubt return to sign books (if he can get ahead of Dickie Bird). He should have been here to watch Michael Vaughan's patrician innings of 155, cut short by a suspected broken little finger late in the day.

Since he trod the hot coals on that first morning of the first Test in Johannesburg, Vaughan has emerged as a batsman of true quality, confirming his status with a polish and an authority that marked him a class above rivals and colleagues in this match. Derbyshire, without Dominic Cork and on a slow but not unfriendly pitch, could hardly provide the sternest examination, but this innings will be pleasing news to Lord's.

He raised 119 with his captain (Yorkshire could not manage a single century opening stand last year), David Byas departing three runs short of 13,000 runs for the county, lost Richard Blakey seven overs later and then added another 152 in 47 overs with Darren Lehmann. He pulled Matt Cassar for a sweetly-timed six and then repeated the shot, off Tim Munton, to reach his 100.

He offered one chance, high to first slip, when 93, off Kevin Dean in an otherwise exemplary exhibition of the opening batsman's art. There is every indication that he will succeed where Boycott failed, as a popular and successful captain of both Yorkshire and England. He was well within reach of his career-best, 183, when he retired for an x-ray on a left hand hit by a short-pitched ball from Cassar. His 155 included nine fours and came off 341 balls.

Derbyshire did not flag. Paul Aldred, once of Cheshire, bowled his right-arm medium through the first session, lunching with figures of 18-5-41-2. When the cloud thickened, temporarily he and Munton curbed Yorkshire but once the sun appeared in late afternoon the bowlers were pasted, particularly by Lehmann, whose 95 included 13 fours, and his top edge, when 95, was the Peakites' one stroke of luck.

Gary Fellows retaliated, on Vaughan's behalf, by starting with a hooked six off Cassar and followed this with two dazzling drives; he and Matthew Wood hinting, in the closing overs, of further punishment to come unless Munton can make a breakthrough this morning. HEADINGLEY SCOREBOARD

Overnight: Derbyshire 239 (M J Di Venuto 70). Yorkshire 74-0. Close

Yorkshire First Innings D Byas lbw b Aldred 49 M P Vaughan retd hurt 155 R J Blakey lbw b Aldred 13 D S Lehmann c Krikken b Aldred 95 C White b Aldred 17 M J Wood not out 38 G M Fellows not out 20 Extras b9 lb7 w2 nb2 20

Total 4 wkts (129 overs) 407

Fall: 1-119 2-141 3-293 4-319 To Bat: G M Hamilton, D Gough, R J Sidebottom, M J Hoggard.

Score at 120 overs: 4-369

Bonus Pts: Yorkshire 7 Derbyshire 2

Bowling Smith 22 4 72 0 Munton 33 4 89 0 Dean 17 2 61 0 Aldred 33 7 97 4 Cassar 17 7 50 0 Bailey 3 0 11 0 Dowman 2 1 7 0 Titchard 2 0 4 0

Umpires: A A Jones and A G T Whitehead

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