Michael Vaughan survived a testing two hours yesterday afternoon against the seam and swing of Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad. After scoring only 37 runs in his four innings this season, Vaughan spent valuable time in the middle, stroking five boundaries in his unbeaten 25.

The contest between Vaughan and Sidebottom had been eagerly awaited, but for the first 45 minutes they were kept apart as Joe Sayers played back six consecutive maidens from Sidebottom. Sayers scored nine from 72 balls before Mark Ealham swung one back through his forward defensive.

Sidebottom’s first seven overs were maidens and his first spell had figures of 8-7-9-0. Before rain curtailed play, Broad found movement and bounce from a good length, making Vaughan play and miss several times, but the England captain will resume his part in an intriguing battle today.

Among the few hundred spectators who dropped in to monitor Vaughan’s progress was an enterprising young fox, who trotted onto the field and briefly held up play before quickly disappearing behind the East Stand. Presumably, like so many young foxes raised in the age of Twenty20 cricket, he took one look at the scoreboard, saw 38 for one after 26 overs and decided that he would be better off frightening chickens.

In fact, although Yorkshire’s scoring rate was slow, the play was never less than absorbing. Sidebottom tormented the left-handed Sayers, maintaining a disciplined line and moving the ball away. He did not concede a run off the bat until his 43rd ball.

Sidebottom’s form has been so vibrant in the last year that many a batsman would have preferred to play him from the non-striker’s end. Thanks to Sayers’ immobility, Vaughan managed to do this until the 13th over. He faced only nine balls in Sidebottom’s eight-over spell, which included one boundary edged between slips and gully and then, from the next ball, a more satisfying back-foot force through cover.

If the weather relents, Vaughan can expect another testing time in seam-friendly conditions today. However he fares, batting against bowlers of the class of Sidebottom and Broad is is an excellent way to prepare England’s captain for the forthcoming Test series against New Zealand.

Scoreboard

Yorkshire: First Innings

J J Sayers b Ealham 9

M P Vaughan not out 25

A McGrath not out14

Extras (lb 3) 3

Total (1 wkt, 30.2 overs) 51

J A Rudolph, A W Gale, A U Rashid, G L Brophy, T T Bresnan, *D Gough, M Morkel and M J Hoggard to bat.

Fall of wicket: 1-33.

Bowling: Sidebottom 8.2-7-9-0; Shreck 9-5-19-0; Broad 7-3-14-0; Ealham 6-3-6-1.

Nottinghamshire: W I Jefferson, M J Wood, A C Voges, S R Patel, *C M W Read, M A Ealham, S C J Broad, G P Swann, R J Sidebottom, C E Shreck, M A Wagh.

Umpires: S A Garratt and P J Hartley.