Cricket: Vaughan in Injury Scare

Michael Vaughan's long-awaited comeback to Test cricket was in doubt last night after he was taken to hospital for an x-ray following a painful blow to the base of his right middle finger during Yorkshire's county championship match against Hampshire.

Vaughan, who has not played Test cricket since December 2005 because of recurring trouble with his right knee, had moved to 15 in Yorkshire's second innings when he was caught by surprise by a delivery from Hampshire's Australian seamer Stuart Clark that leapt from just short of a good length and struck him agonisingly on the glove.

The England captain was tended to for five minutes by the Yorkshire physio, Scott McAllister, but was only able to face three more deliveries before retiring hurt at 6.25pm. Forty-five minutes later he was on his way to hospital.

"It was painful enough to stop him batting," confirmed McAllister. "But we will have to wait for the outcome of the x-ray." It is believed Vaughan was able to move his finger around while McAllister was tending to him, but this was unconfirmed.

With the first Test against West Indies at Lord's less than a fortnight away, it was hardly the news to cheer up Peter Moores in his first week as England coach. Now, though, there is a very real possibility that Moores will begin his reign without a player who only on Wednesday evening was revelling in an innings of 72 here. Vaughan also spoke of his excitement about resuming a Test career that was cut short after the tour of Pakistan in 2005-06 because of knee trouble.

Another delay now would be the cruellest possible blow. Vaughan, who missed two Test matches against Zimbabwe in 2000 with a broken finger, suffered a blow to his stature after presiding over England's disappointing performances at the World Cup in the Caribbean last month, and desperately needs to reassert himself in the more favoured territory of Test cricket.

His record in the longer form of the game, as a batsman but especially as a captain, remains high-class and his relationship with Moores is seen as crucial to determining the mood in the camp as England embark on the post-Duncan Fletcher era.

But he is also short of time in the middle, and can ill-afford more time off now with a Test series looming. As Vaughan trudged off last night, he was given a consoling pat on the back by Clark. It will have been of little comfort.