Vaughan no big-hitter in new format (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Vaughan no big-hitter in new format

2:35pm Sunday 15th June 2008 in

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I felt quite sorry for Michael Vaughan on Thursday night when he fell for a second-ball duck in Yorkshire's Twenty20 opener against Derbyshire at Headingley. Twenty-over cricket just does not seem to be his game.

Vaughan is one of the most eye- catching batsmen in Test match cricket. When he is playing well, there are not many more players better to watch.

His cover drive is technically perfect, while he pulls the ball with so much grace.

Even so, I thought that Vaughan's off-spin bowling was pretty effective against the Phantoms on Thursday, despite finishing with figures of nought for 20 from two overs.

But on Thursday, he was made to look like a duck out of water as he turned his hand to Twenty20 for only the second time in his career. There are a lot of people who are marrying Vaughan's sudden interest in Twenty20 cricket to the recent financial increase in the format.

And to a certain extent that is probably true. But wouldn't we all want a slice of the pie given a similar chance?

Vaughan will almost certainly miss out on a place in the England side for the $20m match that has just been announced for November 1. Each winning player gets the equivalent of £500,000 for a one-off match.

But surely some rich tycoon will give him a short-term contract to play in the Indian Premier League on name alone when the England players are given the okay to go and feature.