Vaughan ready for "real test"

Michael Vaughan is gearing up to start the domestic season with Yorkshire © Getty Images

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Michael Vaughan begins the domestic season with Yorkshire insisting the LV County Championship remains the ultimate test of a county side.

Twenty20 cricket has dominated the news agenda in recent weeks, with the Indian Premier League one of the hottest topics around the globe.

England’s own domestic competition, the Twenty20 Cup, has seen its stock grow steadily since its inception in 2003, capturing the attention of the public and players alike and helping fill stadiums the length and breadth of the country.

But Vaughan, for all his admiration for the shortened form of the game, claims the championship is the trophy most players want to get their hands on come the end of the season.

“The County Championship is the real true test of a team,” said Vaughan. “The team that wins the championship is always the best team because it’s over 16 matches, over the whole season.

Sussex lift the much prized championship trophy last year

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“It produces your Test players as well, and playing for England has to be the pinnacle of anyone’s career.

“You need different skills and lots of energy in Twenty20 cricket, but the purists’ game is four-day cricket. It’s a the real test of someone’s skill and mental strength.”

England captain Vaughan, who made a duck in the season opener against Bradford/Leeds UCCE last week, will be available for Yorkshire’s first two championship games of the season before his international commitments take over.

While his presence, and that of England team-mate Matthew Hoggard, is sure to boost the attendance at Headingley Carnegie when Yorkshire open their campaign against Hampshire next Wednesday, the crowd will be nothing like that which will greet the players for the first Twenty20 Cup encounter against Derbyshire in June.

Vaughan, though, points out that the number of people inside the ground is not the only yardstick for a competition’s worth.

“It’s not just about the crowds,” he pointed out. “Four-day cricket is still a fantastic product and it gets a lot of support.

“There are still plenty of people out there who believe four-day cricket is the only English cricket.

Vaughan insists the four-day game is a "fantastic product"

“In 20-over cricket one innings can change the match or one 20-minute spell can win you the game, but in four-day cricket it takes longer.

“I don’t think there are many Test match followers who don’t like Test cricket any more because of Twenty20 - it’s just a new audience who like the three hours of crash bang wallop.”

Vaughan and Hoggard - out to win back his England place - add depth to a Yorkshire side also featuring a wealth of experience at the top of the order in Anthony McGrath, Jacques Rudolph and Craig White.

Adil Rashid and Joe Sayers are among the most highly rated of the younger generation at Headingley, while Pakistani pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan arrives from reigning champions Sussex to bolster an attack led by the indefatigable Darren Gough.

“We’ve got a good mix,” said Vaughan, who watched from afar as Yorkshire set the pace for much of last season only to fall away towards the end of the summer.

“We started well last year but didn’t maintain it. We weren’t really affected by the weather; we just didn’t play well enough towards the end of last year.

“We’ve got a good opportunity to start well by playing at Headingley early. Hopefully we’ll start the same this year but maintain it until September.”