England's last match before the start of the Ashes series on Thursday came to a somewhat gloomy end as a draw in Brisbane just before four o'clock local time with the light deteriorating and storm clouds gathering. It could be said that these clouds were not only meteorological with the news that Darren Gough has received yet another setback to his recovery from knee problems, but a bright ray of sunshine came blazing through with Michael Vaughan's innings of 127 in his first innings since knee surgery.

England set out to use the final day for batting practice and reached 322 for seven when the draw was called. Vaughan was the main beneficiary for, needing time in the middle to give his knee a thorough test before the Test, he spent the entire match on the field without reporting any serious repercussions.

The Yorkshireman resumed on 49 but was reprieved on a number of occasions before he reached his milestone in mid-afternoon from 169 balls with 18 fours and a six. Dropped at slip by Martin Love the previous evening when on 45, he then had let-offs from the normally brilliant Andrew Symonds when on 75 and then a sharp chance to the wicket-keeper when three short of his hundred.

These escapes, however, should not detract from the value of Vaughan's innings. Despite the form shown by his deputy, Robert Key, in earlier matches on the tour, England need a fit and in-form Vaughan at the top of the order to continue the burgeoning opening partnership with Marcus Trescothick.

He lost nigthwatchman Matthew Hoggard in the first over of the morning when he was caught behind by a diving Wayne Seccombe off Mike Kasprowicz without adding to his score. That, in itself, was no bad thing as it allowed the recognised batsmen time in the middle.

Mark Butcher was perhaps in the most need of this, but twice came close to being run out in the early stages of his innings. Butcher saw Vaughan go to his fifty and appeared to be on course to join him. He had scores of 0,7,29 and 7 in his previous four innings on tour, but had reached 45 when he edged the first ball after lunch, bowled by Ashley Noffke, and was caught behind.

Nasser Hussain has been in rather more convincing form, but he lifted a drive against off-spinner Nathan Hauritz when he had 28 and was the victim of a diving catch in the deep by Kasprowicz when he had 28. He had hit five fours in his stay to suggest that his game is still in good order.

Vaughan went next, lbw to Hauritz, and the off-spinner picked up his third wicket when John Crawley edged to Stuart Law at slip just before tea. Crawley's unconvincing innings must leave his place in the Test side in some jeopardy.

Andrew Flintoff also failed, edging Lee Carseldine to Jimmy Maher at slip when on 3 to give the medium pacer his first first-class wicket, but Alec Stewart was on 30 with Ashley Giles 7 not out when the bad light intervened.

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