Considering the England captain had managed only 113 runs in six innings going into this game, he might not have appreciated the funny side.

Vaughan's search for form has been an ongoing sideshow during the opening weeks of the season and, in his final innings before the first Test against New Zealand, he again failed to produce a substantial score.

As Yorkshire thrashed Durham by five wickets with 14.2 overs to spare, a victory that served as sweet revenge for their five-run defeat at Chester-le-Street last month, Vaughan managed only 22 (the scoreboard said -22) to lift his season's aggregate to 135 runs at an average of 19.28.

The pattern for Vaughan has become frustratingly familiar. First he plays himself in, then he produces one or two sumptuous strokes to get his confidence growing, and then he inexplicably loses his wicket.

Yesterday's cameo was a case in point: Vaughan cracked Steve Harmison to the mid-wicket boundary, off-drove him for four to the foot of the Kirkstall Lane end and then, just when everything seemed set fair for a much-needed half-century, he jabbed a delivery from Graham Onions to point. Cue the familiar expression of disbelief from a batsman who must hope his international summer does not prove so exasperating.

While Vaughan's star continues to wane, Andrew Gale's keeps on rising. After Durham were dismissed for 185 from 45.3 overs, Richard Pyrah and Darren Gough each claiming three wickets, Gale produced a stand-and-deliver performance to get Yorkshire's reply off to a sizzling start.

His strokeplay verged on the savage as he treated the Cup holders with disdain en route to a 42-ball half-century made out of the first 65 runs.

Harmison was plundered to the tune of 24 in his first two overs and Gale was also severe on Onions, whom he swatted for six into the West Stand with the ease of a man blithely dismissing a fly from his presence. It looked as though Gale might win the match on his own before Harmison had him caught in the slips for 68.

"They kept bowling short and I was more than happy to keep dispatching them," said Gale.

"I think they were trying to bounce me out, but it didn't work.

"It was my day, but I know a couple of good performances doesn't make for a good season. I've started well, but I need to keep it going."

Gale and Vaughan both fell with the total on 94 after Yorkshire recovered strongly following the early departure of Gerard Brophy, brilliantly caught by a diving Onions at third-man off Neil Killeen.

Jacques Rudolph stroked 34 from 49 deliveries before he was caught behind off Harmison, who then removed Adil Rashid first ball when the leg-spinner fended a hostile delivery to second slip.

Anthony McGrath (45 from 63 balls) and Tim Bresnan (10 from 12) saw Yorkshire home to boost their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, particularly with two games to come against Scotland and one against Derbyshire.

Gough sent Durham into bat after winning the toss before a holiday crowd of 3,328, Yorkshire opting not to risk South African pace bowler Morne Morkel, who is set for a precautionary scan later this week on a hamstring problem but hopes to be fit for next Sunday's Trophy match against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

Bresnan struck the first blow for the home team when he had the dangerous Michael Di Venuto leg-before.

Phil Mustard and Kyle Coetzer added 55 for the second-wicket before the former was caught behind off Gough, who swung the match in Yorkshire's favour when he produced a peach of a delivery to find Collingwood's outside edge and then had Neil McKenzie caught at slip.

Gough's opening spell of 3-18 from six overs was richly impressive.

Durham were held together by Coetzer, who made 61 from 101 balls before being bowled by Pyrah.

Rashid chipped in with two wickets, including the important one of Dale Benkenstein, stumped for 31.





Headingley: Yorkshire won toss and won by 5 wkts.
Durham
M J Di Venuto lbw b Bresnan 8
P Mustard c Brophy b Gough 26
K J Coetzer b Pyrah 61
P D Collingwood c Brophy b Gough 2
N D McKenzie c Rudolph b Gough 1
D M Benkenstein st Brophy b A U Rashid 31
B W Harmison c Rudolph b Pyrah 19
G R Breese not out 27
G Onions run out 0
S J Harmison c Brophy b Pyrah 0
N Killeen lbw b A U Rashid 0
Extras lb2 w6 nb2 10
Total (45.3 overs) 185
Fall: 1-14 2-69 3-71 4-81 5-134 6-136 7-182 8-183 9-184
Bowling: Kruis 10 0 47 0; Bresnan 8 0 34 1; Shahzad 7 0 25 0; Gough 8 0 31 3; Pyrah 6 0 25 3; A U Rashid 6.3 2 21 2.

Yorkshire
G L Brophy c Onions b Killeen 2
A W Gale c Breese b S J Harmison 68
M P Vaughan c Collingwood b Onions 22
A McGrath not out 45
J A Rudolph c Mustard b S J Harmison 34
A U Rashid c Di Venuto b S J Harmison 0
T T Bresnan not out 10 Extras lb2 w1 nb2 5
Total 5 wkts (35.4 overs) 186
Fall: 1-14 2-94 3-94 4-152 5-152.
Did not bat: D Gough, R M Pyrah, A Shahzad, G J Kruis.
Bowling: Killeen 8 0 28 1; Onions 8 1 44 1; Collingwood 3 0 17 0; S J Harmison 9.4 0 58 3; Breese 7 0 37 0.