THE class of Michael Vaughan yesterday ruined Durham's hopes of racing to their first championship win in ten meetings with Yorkshire.

After rain wiped out the first 45 overs of the third day's play at Headingley, Vaughan showed why he must now be considered a fixture in the England team with a masterful display.

Following Saturday's collapse to 129 all out on a blameless pitch, Yorkshire reached 149 for one in their second innings with Vaughan on 94 and they now trail by only 36 runs.

Yorkshire should hang on for a draw today, but they are unlikely to have enough leeway to go for the win they need to regain top spot, having been toppled by Surrey's win against Leicestershire.

Vaughan made 177 at the Riverside two years ago and 94 at the Chester-le-Street ground when Yorkshire made it eight wins out of nine against Durham last month.

Whether driving, working the ball through mid-wicket or pulling, his strokeplay was immaculate, and only when Melvyn Betts went past his outside edge a couple of times did he look less than totally secure.

He dominated an opening stand of 67 with David Byas, who was caught and bowled by Betts for 18, then took even greater control in an unbroken partnership of 82, to which Richard Blakey has contributed 12.

There was little sign of swing for the bowlers and with the excellent pitch holding together well any lapse in line or length was punished by Vaughan, who has hit nine fours from 215 balls.

It was a pity that it was witnessed by a sparse crowd. In fact, the chance of a full weekend's championship cricket offered by a Friday start has brought a disappointing response. Saturday's attendance could be only partly attributed to the weather as, despite a succession of black clouds, the only serious rain arrived just as play was finishing.

Yorkshire were in far less generous mood when play began at 2.30 yesterday than they had been on Saturday morning, when they set the tone for their disappointing day in the opening three overs.

A leg-side wide from Matthew Hoggard and a no-ball from Chris Silverwood sped to the boundary, and 13 of the first 14 runs were from extras.

Hoggard continued to bowl poorly and when Nick Speak hit successive balls for four with a square drive and a clip through mid-wicket the possibility of a third batting point had become much brighter.

With the help of first Steve Harmison then Simon Brown, Speak added 61 to the overnight 253 for eight and finished on 61 not out, made off 185 balls with five fours.

There was further assistance from Yorkshire when Byas watched an edge from Brown fly past his left hand at second slip, denying Ryan Sidebottom a sixth wicket.

Although Byas is division one's leading catcher with 14, Durham then proceeded to give him a lesson in slip catching as Simon Katich and Paul Collingwood pouched three apiece.

The bowling was good, but not of a standard to justify Yorkshire's limp surrender on such a good pitch.

The vital wicket came from Collingwood, who nipped one back to have Vaughan lbw for 34 after he had comfortably added 46 for the third wicket with Darren Lehmann.

The Australian perished in a manner which is becoming familiar, slicing to point, where substitute Nicky Phillips took a good catch.

Then Brown, innocuous in his first spell, returned to find the edge twice in an over and also took the last two wickets to finish with four for 33. The last six batsmen totalled 20 between them, leaving Anthony McGrath stranded on 29.

Following on 185 behind, Byas and Vaughan survived a few scares, notably when Byas almost played on against Neil Killeen, in scoring nine runs in 12 overs before the close.

l DURHAM batsman Michael Gough was in hospital in Leeds yesterday awaiting the results of tests into a mystery illness.

It is feared that the 20-year-old batsman may have picked up an infection in Bangladesh last winter when the England A party visited there before moving on to New Zealand.

As well as suffering from a back problem, he has had recurring bouts of feeling under the weather for some time.

Gough contributed 24 to Durham's best opening stand in division one when he made his first championship appearance of the season against Yorkshire at Headingley on Friday.

Durham physio Nigel Kent said: "He came to me on Saturday morning saying he didn't feel too well but wanting to play. He had been coughing a lot so I got the doctor here to take a look at him and he said it didn't look too good.

"Michael has had an X-ray and blood tests and we hope to get the results tomorrow."

Gough has had illness problems before when playing abroad, notably on a tour of Sri Lanka with a Durham youth party.