November 05 Tuesday 2002
Vaughan prepared for verbal barrage from Aussies

BRISBANE: England opener Michael Vaughan is fully prepared for a verbal barrage from the Australia bowlers after scoring a century in his first tour innings on Monday. 

"It's my first time against the Aussies, and I do realise it's going to be tough. I'm sure there'll be a lot of verbals -- I'd be disappointed if there wasn't," said Vaughan, who made 127 in the drawn three-day match against Queensland. 

"I'm expecting my ears to take a bit of a pounding. It's all good fun, isn't it?" 

"I just keep watching the ball, it's the only thing you can do. Whatever they say it can't change what comes out of the hand." 

Vaughan said Australia possessed a strong bowling attack but added if England could negotiate the opening overs without loss they would look to score heavily. 

"When the pitch dries out and the ball's old, it's time to cash in," the Yorkshire opener said.

"I won't try to change much. I'll always continue with the positive mental side of trying to look to score, because that's the best way to play." 

The 28-year-old Yorkshireman, who made four test centuries during the England summer against Sri Lanka and India, said he had coped well with the pressures of expectation during his stunning season. 

"Most people would say I'm pretty level headed and even in the summer when everything was going fantastic I tried to stay very focused and didn't really let too many things written and said about me go to my head," he said. 

"I'll just continue to play my cricket, try to get as many runs as I can and most importantly keep enjoying it." The first test starts in Brisbane on Thursday.