Michael Vaughan and Anthony McGrath staged a good recovery after Yorkshire had won the toss and then quickly lost Simon Widdup in the Championship match against Kent at Canterbury today.

The second wicket pair shaped a 50 stand in 15 overs and by the 26th over had moved the score on to 63 for one.

Widdup departed when he slashed hard at a ball from David Masters and Rahul Dravid held on to a splendid catch at head height at backward point.

There had earlier been a lengthy delay when a new ball had to be brought out after only three overs, the original one having gone out of shape, but Vaughan soon clattered it through the covers for four when Martin Saggers pitched outside off-stump.

Pitch liaison officer Tony Brown was present for the start of the match but there appeared to be little wrong with the quality of the pitch.

Widdup's dismissal brought in McGrath and he got off the mark by forcing Masters just wide of the famous tree for four.

Vaughan was looking quite composed and he turned Masters off his hips for two to make the total 15 for one in the ninth over.

Mark Ealham came on for Saggers as Kent made their first bowling change but Vaughan drove him regally through extra cover for four and there was another boundary for McGrath, who dealt firmly with a legside half-volley from Masters.

An Ealham bouncer was pulled for four by McGrath who went ahead of Vaughan until the England man struck three boundaries in an over from Saggars to hurry the score beyond the 50 mark.

It was encouraging batting by Yorkshire and the 50 stand came up as McGrath leg-glanced Ealham for another four, skipper Mark Fleming then taking over at the other end from Saggers.

Yorkshire went into the game without senior fast bowler Chris Silverwood whose season has come to an abrupt end.

He returned home after Tuesday's floodlit match at Canterbury because of a hernia problem and is expected to have an operation shortly.

Silverwood's withdrawal sent director of coaching Martyn Moxon dashing off to Hastings yesterday to collect 19-year-old Spen Victoria product Tom Baker, who was playing for the Yorkshire Academy against a junior Sussex side.

The young paceman was just about the only cover Yorkshire could call on but in the event they made him 12th man and brought in left-arm spinner Ian Fisher.

A win against Kent is essential for Yorkshire if they are to go on to Southampton for their final match with Hampshire next week and still be in with a shout of finishing second in the Championship table, a position which would bring them £50,000 in runner's-up money.

SCOREBOARD

Kent v Yorkshire

at Canterbury

Yorkshire First Innings

Widdup c Dravid b Masters 3

Vaughan not out 50

McGrath not out 33

Extras 1

Total 1 wkt (32 overs) 87

Fall: 1-9

Today's games

PPP healthcare County Championship

Division One, Southampton (day 2 of 4): Hampshire 468-6 (Kendall 143, Prittipaul 152, 122 overs) v Derbyshire; The Oval: Surrey 363-1 (Butcher 172no, Ward 144, 107.4 overs) v Durham.

Division Two, Lord's (day 3 of 4): Middlesex 179-1 (Strauss 64no, Langer 68no, 58 overs) v Warwickshire 416 (Hemp 129, Powell 92); Northampton (day 2 of 4): Northants 70-2 (25 overs) v Essex 233; Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 371 (Gallian 150) v Glamorgan 43-1 (8.1 overs); Hove (day 1 of 4): Sussex 79-5 (27.3 overs) v Gloucestershire.