Michael Vaughan Out to Impress England Selectors at Lord's
Michael Vaughan will get an opportunity to impress the England selectors when he bats at No3 for the MCC against Durham at Lord's
Michael Vaughan will get an early opportunity to impress the England selectors ahead of this summer's Ashes series when he plays for the MCC in the season's traditional curtain-raiser against the champion county, Durham, at Lord's next week.
Vaughan has hit six of his 18 Test hundreds at Lord's, all in front of packed crowds, but another hundred at headquarters in front of what is expected to be a few hundred spectators could prove just as valuable as he tries to resurrect his Test career.
Andrew Strauss, England's captain, has indicated that he has nine of his preferred Ashes XI already formulated – and one of the spots up for grabs is the No3 batting spot which Vaughan wants to make his own once again.
Vaughan will face direct competition from another batsman chosen for the MCC, Ian Bell, who failed to establish himself as England's No3 in the Caribbean and lost his place to the equally unconvincing Owais Shah. Intriguingly, Vaughan has been named at No3, with Bell scheduled to bat at No4.
Vaughan has not represented England since resigning in tears as captain last summer. He made abortive attempts to rediscover his appetite for the game in time for England's winter tours of India and the West Indies, but began the season brightly with a one-day hundred for Yorkshire against Surrey in the pre-season Pro Arch Trophy in the Middle East.
John Stephenson, MCC's cricket secretary, suggested that one young player might steal some of the attention from Vaughan when he faces his native county. "Graeme Fowler, who coaches at Durham UCCE, has been raving about Tom Westley, and I look forward to him scoring runs against a team captained by his predecessor at Durham UCCE, Will Smith," he said.
MCC (v Durham, Lord's, Thursday 9 April): Rob Key (Kent, captain), Stephen Moore (Worcs), Michael Vaughan (Yorks), Ian Bell (Warks), Tom Westley (Durham), James Foster (Essex), Adil Rashid (Yorks), Kabir Ali (Worcs), Chris Woakes (Warks), Steven Finn (Middx), Sajid Mahmood (Lancs).
Vaughan has hit six of his 18 Test hundreds at Lord's, all in front of packed crowds, but another hundred at headquarters in front of what is expected to be a few hundred spectators could prove just as valuable as he tries to resurrect his Test career.
Andrew Strauss, England's captain, has indicated that he has nine of his preferred Ashes XI already formulated – and one of the spots up for grabs is the No3 batting spot which Vaughan wants to make his own once again.
Vaughan will face direct competition from another batsman chosen for the MCC, Ian Bell, who failed to establish himself as England's No3 in the Caribbean and lost his place to the equally unconvincing Owais Shah. Intriguingly, Vaughan has been named at No3, with Bell scheduled to bat at No4.
Vaughan has not represented England since resigning in tears as captain last summer. He made abortive attempts to rediscover his appetite for the game in time for England's winter tours of India and the West Indies, but began the season brightly with a one-day hundred for Yorkshire against Surrey in the pre-season Pro Arch Trophy in the Middle East.
John Stephenson, MCC's cricket secretary, suggested that one young player might steal some of the attention from Vaughan when he faces his native county. "Graeme Fowler, who coaches at Durham UCCE, has been raving about Tom Westley, and I look forward to him scoring runs against a team captained by his predecessor at Durham UCCE, Will Smith," he said.
MCC (v Durham, Lord's, Thursday 9 April): Rob Key (Kent, captain), Stephen Moore (Worcs), Michael Vaughan (Yorks), Ian Bell (Warks), Tom Westley (Durham), James Foster (Essex), Adil Rashid (Yorks), Kabir Ali (Worcs), Chris Woakes (Warks), Steven Finn (Middx), Sajid Mahmood (Lancs).
Use the feedback form below to submit your comments.
Use the form below to email this article to your friends.
- Cricket: Michael Vaughan
- Vaughan: England Need New Coach
- Vaughan's Experience Can Halt England's Backward Slide
- Vaughan Hoping for Invite to Fun in the Sun
- Vaughan Plots Return to Test Team Among the Rank and File
- Vaughan Out of India Tour to Put England Career in Doubt
- Vaughan Pulls Out As Tykes Slump
- Vaughan Fails But Yorkshire Edge Closer to Safety
- Counties Drawn to Vaughan
- Vaughan Wins New Contract But Must Adapt to Survive
- Pietersen Backs Vaughan to Be Given England Central Contract
- Vaughan's Future Uncertain for Club and Country
- England Settle After Summer of Storms
- Rashid Milestone Offers Solace on Day of Seaside Grief for Vaughan
- Vaughan Earmarks His Date for Yorkshire Return
- Pietersen Feels the Buzz As England Prepare for Post-vaughan Era
- Pietersen Stands Apart As the Man to Pull England Together
- Pietersen Waits to Step Up As Vaughan Takes Leave in Tears
- With His Resignation, As With His Batting, the Timing is Wrong
- Vaughan Confounds His Detractors With a Dignified Departure