CRICKET/Ashes Series: With one bound, like a superhero escaping his shackles, Michael Vaughan became free yesterday. Not just short of runs in this series but bewildered as to the reason - "I have been feeling fine" almost became a mantra accompanying each successive failure - the England captain turned back the clock and produced the sort of century that for a brief while ennobled him with the status of the finest batsman on earth.
To do so he rode his luck. When he had just 41 Adam Gilchrist moved in front of first slip and parried away a chance. The following ball ducked back inside his drive and carted away his off-stump, his departure halted by Steve Bucknor's no-ball call with insult added by the two byes that resulted.
On each occasion the unsuccessful bowler was Glenn McGrath, who had defied medical opinion and most informed guesses to declare himself fit (-ish) for what Australia may regard as the pivotal match of the summer.
Later, in his evening pomp, as the runs flowed and the crowd crowed its pleasure as he approached his third half-century, Vaughan lay back to cut Shane Warne and this time it was Matthew Hayden who spilled the chance. The run-out that would have eventuated had Simon Katich hit the stumps when he had 151 was almost incidental. On days like this there could have been a force-field round the wicket.
No team, not even Australia, can afford to give a top player even one chance and hope not to be punished for it. To allow Vaughan three lives bordered on the sort of charity that warrants tax benefits. Only when the day was into its final hour did Australia finally gain his wicket, through the unlikely combination of Katich's left-arm wrist spin and McGrath at wide long on.
By then he had batted for 166, his fourth century against Australia (none below 145), the 15th of his career and his sixth as captain. To the 21 fours, one of them all run, went a six pulled high into the stand at midwicket off Jason Gillespie, a forlorn bowler once more yesterday.
Vaughan had enjoyed profitable partnerships, first of all with Marcus Trescothick (63), with whom he added 137 for the second wicket before the left-hander became Warne's 600th Test wicket, and then one of 127 for the third with the unobtrusive Ian Bell. His dismissal, though, may yet prove reckless.
Two years ago in Adelaide, Vaughan's brilliant century was ended by Andy Bichel with the first day's final delivery, a prelude to a plummet the next morning from 295 for four to 342 all out. There were shades of this when Kevin Pietersen, stupidly with the close imminent and his partnership with Bell blossoming, hooked Brett Lee's second delivery with the second new ball to the substitute fielder who had been placed at deep midwicket for precisely such a stroke. It is hoped he was read his fortune in the dressing room: you do not throw away a good position like so much confetti.
By then though Bell, grittily determined over more than three hours, had moved past his half-century, a little nearer to completing his credential as the next generation in the middle order. The nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard lost his off stump to Lee to end the day but, with England on 341 for five, Bell will resume this morning on 59.
Earlier Australia had enjoyed deceptive success when Andrew Strauss was beautifully yorked by Lee's slower delivery on six, though he had been hit nastily behind the left ear by the same bowler in his previous over and may still have been seeing stars rather than the ball.
Australia looked a shambles at times, their performance reminiscent of many England have produced against them in the past. The dropped catches - and to those offered by Vaughan can be added one missed by Gilchrist off McGrath when Trescothick had 13 and a simple return catch that the same bowler failed to take when Bell had 18 - were only part of a general malaise. The ground fielding became sloppy and the bowling of Gillespie, waspish once upon a time, was sad to watch.
That McGrath was appearing at all smacked of desperation. Indeed, if his injured right ankle is fully fit for Test cricket, especially a match played on a pitch baked to concrete hardness, then Ashley Giles really is the King of Spain and should take up residence in Madrid immediately.
His length as ever was immaculate, the line likewise, and with the new ball there was a little disconcerting bounce that might have brought its reward.
But you can bet it hurt like hell, something signalled by his hobbling-abbreviated follow-through. If he deserved better reward than figures of none for 76 then Australia might still wonder at the wisdom of him playing. It was brave but not a little foolhardy.
The omens for Vaughan began when he won a toss that he was desperate to win, knowing that unlike Edgbaston his counterpart was equally keen. Time was he would lose tosses like that. If the injury to Strauss, sustained as he was attempting to pull a short ball, was portentous of a difficult morning, then Vaughan's demeanour failed to show it. His strokeplay was exceptional off front foot but, more particularly and most memorably, through the offside off back foot where he was severe on Lee and Gillespie.
This innings will remind him - for even if he could carry the memory of his momentous series in Australia he must have forgotten what it actually felt like - of how it is to play and succeed in the very highest echelons of the game. It will be no surprise if he cracks on from here.
ENGLAND: First Innings:
M E Trescothick c Gilchrist b Warne 63
A J Strauss b Lee 6
M P Vaughan c McGrath b Katich 166
I R Bell not out 59
K P Pietersen c Sub b Lee 21
M J Hoggard b Lee 4
Extras b4 lb3 w2 nb13 22
Total 5 wkts (89 overs) 341
Fall of wickets: 1-26, 2-163, 3-290, 4-333, 5-341.
To Bat: A Flintoff, G O Jones, A F Giles, S J Harmison, S P Jones.
Bowling: McGrath 19-3-76-0; Lee 19-6-58-3 Gillespie 15-2-89-0; Warne 27-5-75-1; Katich 9-1-36-1.
AUSTRALIA: Ricky Ponting (captain), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Michael Clarke, Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.
