The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Vaughan keeps England afloat

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Vaughan keeps England afloat

Ted Corbett

Cook and Strauss put on century partnership
Pietersen and Bell fail to get going

LONDON: Michael Vaughan went to Lord’s on Sunday to play an innings to save his reputation and found instead that he had to play a three-hour knock to keep England in the first Test.

To be fair to Vaughan, it was a scenario no-one had envisaged. England’s only struggles had been caused by the weather which allowed just 116 overs in two days. No-one thought the flightless Kiwis would put up a fight but an hour after lunch it was England which was seeking a rescuer.

Alastair Cook put on their first century partnership before Cook was caught behind for 61 and Strauss lbw for 63. Kevin Pietersen, in the process of getting accustomed to a new batting method, lasted only nine balls before he went, pretending to play but, rightly given out lbw. After looking comfortably at home before lunch, Ian Bell was caught behind for 16 at 180 for four.

Usual calm

Vaughan maintained his usual calm as these disasters befell his team.

He had come to stay, to score the hundred that would make his summer secure, to show the doubters that he was still the man who hit three hundreds in a Test series in Australia, to revive his career that is now relying on old scores to maintain an average above 40.

He has made four fifties in 33 innings since he hit 124 off India at Trent Bridge last July; you would never have guessed that this afternoon, even when that stout heart Paul Collingwood was caught at slip off Daniel Vettori — who had given Vaughan trouble before lunch — and Tim Ambrose went first ball lbw, a home Test debut he will want to forget.

Stuart Broad stopped the hat trick — diffidently but that is his way — while Vaughan went from prosaic to pragmatic to phlegmatic and fifty.

In command

Vaughan went to his fifty against his tormentor Vettori with a two and single through the legside; by now he was in command. We wished we might see Vaughan’s great swivelling pull shot but it was not the right wicket or the right day.

Having making the breakthrough Vettori threw the new ball to the old salt Chris Martin and the new boy Tim Southee, a strange decision.

They began with a maiden apiece but, 45 runs from the lead, England had no reason to hurry and at tea, with 45 overs left in the day, they were 239 for six and, thanks to Vaughan, ready to take charge of the rest of the match.

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