Vaughan closes in on comeback century

LEEDS, England, May 25 (Reuters) Captain Michael Vaughan closed in on a 16th test century on his return to test action after 18 months on the sidelines on the opening day of the second test against West Indies at Headingley today.

At tea, England were 222 for two with Vaughan on 92. Kevin Pietersen had scored 53 and put on 131 with his skipper as England batted throughout the afternoon session without losing a wicket in sunny conditions on a slow pitch.

Openers Andrew Strauss (15) and Alastair Cook (42) were dismissed before lunch after England won the toss.

Vaughan registered his 15th test half-century with an innocuous drive that West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, at mid-off, allowed to pass through his body for a single.

The former world number one batsman has dropped out of the test world rankings top 100 after a career-threatening knee injury.

He missed the drawn first test at Lord's after fracturing a finger.

Vaughan scored 25 runs either side of lunch, taking 62 deliveries before the interval and just 32 afterwards to illustrate the way his stroke-play grew in fluency. He has so far plundered ten boundaries.

Pietersen, who reached his 10th test fifty with a whipped on-drive off paceman Jerome Taylor, helped Vaughan take the innings run rate to over four runs per over as West Indies' bowlers struggled for penetration.

The world number three test batsman Pietersen profited from some good fortune when on 20, he advanced down the pitch to off-spinner Chris Gayle looking to crash him to the boundary and was stumped by Denesh Ramdin after missing the ball.

However, Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf called a no-ball, ruling Gayle had overstepped his bowling line.

Left-hander Cook missed a straight Gayle delivery from around the wicket to the last ball before lunch and was lbw.

Strauss was caught behind chasing a short and wide ball from Daren Powell.

Earlier, England made two changes from the first test, bringing in Vaughan for Owais Shah and left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom for the injured Matthew Hoggard.

West Indies were forced to omit Shivnarine Chanderpaul because of tendinitis in his knee. They drafted in Sylvester Joseph.

REUTERS AKD BST2122