Around 15,000 ecstatic cricket fans turned up at Headingley last night to pay homage to Michael Vaughan and his England team of superstars.

But a spectacular half-hour storm completely waterlogged the ground shortly before Vaughan's Asda Challenge Twenty20 match between his World XI and a Yorkshire XI was due to start leaving conditions too dangerous for a game to take place.

Proceeds from the game were expected to be in the region of six figures but Yorkshire's director of marketing Ian Bishop said full refunds would be given if requested, less 50p handling charge.

Before the thunderstorm Vaughan said he was overwhelmed his benefit match should be a sell-out. Cricket had become very popular, he added, and this was an occasion at which people could see the England stars.

Now 2-1 up going into next week's final Ashes Test, he said: "I think our approach to the final Test at The Oval will be very similar to what it has been in the three Tests since our defeat at Lord's. We will try to play in the same fashion which means winning most of the sessions.

"We realise we are in a good position at 2-1 up but we also know how much hard work goes into winning and the first day is crucial. We have to do all the hard work again, otherwise it will have been for nothing."

Earlier, there was a 'warm-up' Twenty20 Challenge between Under-14s teams from West Yorkshire and East Lancashire coached by Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff respectively.

Flintoff took the field for a while when Yorkshire batted and standing at slip he caught opener Luke Patel, who plays for Wakefield Schools. It went in the scorebook as: L Patel c Flintoff (sub).... a valuable collector's item already.

Updated: 10:22 Thursday, September 01, 2005