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Michael Vaughan became the first England captain to have his trousers impounded on the opening day of a tour, but after that small setback at Harare airport England A went on to enjoy a successful adventure in Zimbabwe and South Africa. They arrived back at Heathrow early this morning undefeated.

Vaughan encountered no problem with the clothes he was wearing, but customs were suspicious of a package containing four pairs of Gunn and Moore cricket trousers, marked ``promotional'', and officials refused to let them through until the England captain returned from his hotel to sign for them.

How could trousers be promotional? That question was never answered, though England's tour could be so described. The party proved to be good ambassadors for cricket, and the team built up an impressive record, winning eight of 11 games.

Vaughan's debut as a senior captain went better than he would have dared hope and the two-month tour established his credentials as, at least, a likely captain of Yorkshire.

John Emburey, the coach, said: ``Without a doubt I see him as a future England captain. He's gained the respect of the players and he has led from the front all the way through. He's got the team to perform for him on the park, and I think that's the key thing.''

England achieved their desired objectives, summarised for every player on two laminated cards compiled during pre-tour training. A yellow card began: ``We commit as a squad to being ... `` and a number of adjectives were listed: successful, competitive, unselfish, dedicated, honest, respected by everyone and loyal to each other. A white card contained practical hints such as body language and communication.

The England A party, on paper, were the weakest in terms of international pedigree of the previous nine to be selected, but their confident victory in Cape Town over the UCB President's XI - a good South Africa A side - proved they had quality.

The wettest rainy season in Zimbabwe for some 30 years, which upset the practice schedule, and the loss of Paul Hutchison and Jason Lewry to injury were setbacks, but this was a contented tour.

Vaughan said: ``I just hope all the boys go back better cricketers. They're obviously going back better people, and they must have gained from the trip because we've been a success.''