Vaughan remains in England frame for fourth Test

Batsman Michael Vaughan remains in line for a recall to the England side for the fourth Ashes test next week despite being relegated to the Yorkshire second team as he recovers from injury.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Vaughan, who has had knee surgery, could still feature at Headingley, along with captain Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe who are also recovering from injury.

"Vaughan is still in the selectors' thinking," ECB media relations manager Andrew Walpole said on Thursday.

Yorkshire did not select Vaughan for their match against Lancashire on Wednesday, forcing him to get some match practice with the second team.

He has not played in a test match for more than two months and last played a first-class match for Yorkshire in May.

Hussain also lined up to play second eleven cricket for Essex on Thursday as he recovered from the broken finger he sustained in the first Ashes test at the start of July.

He also broke a thumb against Pakistan earlier in the English summer.

Meanwhile Thorpe, who is recovering from a broken hand, will wait until the end of the week before deciding whether to make himself available for the test.

He injured his hand in the second test after being rushed back into the side after a six-week lay-off with a calf injury.

The absence of Vaughan, Thorpe and Hussain, batting at three, four and five, has been exploited by the Australian bowlers in the first three tests with England failing to reach 300 in any of their six innings following a series of collapses.

England's selectors are due to name the fourth test squad on Sunday. Australia lead the five-match series 3-0.

Mail Cricket Editor