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Vaughan brio sets perfect example for Yorkshire trio

Yorks (233-6) bt Leics (229-9) by 4 wkts

Three young men did Yorkshire proud yesterday as their team, deprived by injury of Darren Gough and two other regular bowlers, made good the loss of three early wickets to overcome Leicestershire. As the Foxes had given them a towelling in the championship last week it offered some compensation.

Michael Vaughan, 24, was named man of the match. He made 85, his best score in this competition, snaffled two good catches and took a good wicket. Gavin Hamilton, also 24, took three for 37, held a catch and hobbled to victory with a runner. Anthony McGrath, 23, shared a stand of 141 in 29 overs with Vaughan that nursed Yorkshire back to health and finished with 84.

As McGrath was the only one of the three to be born within the Ridings it would be misleading to call all three Yorkshiremen, though Vaughan was educated in the county and Hamilton has learnt to be a cricketer there. It is with such players that the team's future rests, and, as they have not won a cup of any kind since 1987, it is fair to say they have some catching-up to do.

Vaughan batted extremely well yesterday. He played freely from the start, looking confident and relaxed, though a score that read 14 for three in the seventh over suggested he had little to be confident about.

Alan Mullally, bowling from the Football Stand End, ran in with purpose, knowing that the ball had done enough off the pitch throughout the day to make bowlers think the next wicket was only a ball away. In his first over Greg Blewett played on. In his next over David Byas clipped a catch to square leg. In his fourth over Craig White was lbw. It was becoming a rout.

Vaughan settled at once, playing handsome strokes, mainly through the offside, but with an eye for runs through midwicket, and he scored at a steady rate. The off-driven boundary that brought up his half-century also raised the hundred stand. It was only when Vince Wells brought himself back at the Kirkstall Lane End that he brought one back to win an lbw decision.

Wells had played a veritable captain's hand earlier after winning the toss. Although he took only three runs from the first 10 overs he provided the innings with its backbone, to the tune of 84, before he cut Hamilton to Vaughan at backward point. That was a third wicket for Hamilton, whose all-round skills are bobbing along nicely on the summer tide.

McGrath was uncertain last winter that his future lay with Yorkshire, talking vaguely of fresh challenges elsewhere. Goodness gracious, he's nobbut a lad! Where was he thinking of going? Berkshire? It is time he got his head down and fulfilled the talent in which Yorkshire have invested heavily, and this innings marks only a start.

When Mullally returned he cut a catch to backward point, with 11 runs needed. The day's work had been done and he had played his part in achieving a notable victory. Yorkshire last won the senior knockout cup 30 years ago, before eight members of the team that played yesterday had been born. They are due, all right.