Bails' refusal to fall leaves Vaughan stumped

What is happening in Yorkshire may not warrant an entry in the "X-Files", but it is mysterious. Amazonian jellyfish have been found in a Doncaster marina; the busy little Aire is to become as sacred as the mighty Ganges and here, at the home of the most exciting Tests, bails refuse to fall off stumps, a direct contravention of Newton's Law.

For instance, when Rahul Dravid was 16 he would have been run out had Michael Vaughan's throw registered on the stumps. A film suggests that the ball did hit but the bails failed obstinately to shift even as Vaughan, walking away stared and stared as if hoping that ocular power alone would cause a spell. As he also failed to run out Sanjay Bangar twice, Vaughan had every reason to suspect extraordinary influences.

This incident and innumerable near-misses by the seamers must have persuaded Nasser Hussain that, if patience and application were added to the persistently accurate attack, then wickets must fall. Which is why presumably we had to wait for 49 overs, until 3.06pm, before Ashley Giles appeared. Ominously for England, he found some turn.

Old men do harp upon familiar themes. Modern audiences become bored with being told that once upon a time there existed a Camelot where every team carried two specialist spinners. The spinners arriving early in the game may not have made an immediate impact. What they did do was to bring a sparkle and variety to the cricket: a wicket or a stream of boundaries would follow. On an especially flat pitch, great spinners would restrict great batsmen.

Yesterday, the diet was monotonous. Full marks then to a substantial crowd who had played good money to see India bat at a rate of 2.2 runs per over up until tea. They did not riot on the old Western Terrace, now re-named, and the members in the newly opened East Stand were too conscious of their new ambience to misbehave.

Today and tomorrow are both sell-outs, so Yorkshire should reach their ECB target of £1m in income, a relief to their bankers who know that it is this income stream that will enable the club to repay a debt expected to rise to £10m next Thursday.

The media centre's day was enlivened by the appearance of two former selectors, Brian Bolus and Ray Illingworth, both of whose first words were: "Where's Atherton?'' The former England captain's book contains less than flattering references to both: next round tomorrow.

Duncan Fletcher said afterwards that England would have bowled anyway. "We got line and length wrong," he said. "You have to make the batters play. We are told the pitch will improve from tomorrow."

* Players from England and South Africa were close yesterday to agreeing on a contract for the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, after Australia's players reached a compromise in the row over personal sponsorship deals. India, however, named a 25-man provisional Champions Trophy squad lacking their established players.