SUSSEX slipped to a 14-run defeat against Yorkshire at Headingley in the Friends Provident Trophy as Michael Vaughan hit a near faultless 82 to press his claims for an England recall.

Vaughan helped Yorkshire recover from 31-3 after a bright start saw Sussex’s opening bowlers James Kirtley and Damien Wright achieve plenty of movement off the seam.

Wright accounted for openers Andrew Gale and Jacques Rudolph as each of the left- handers deflected the ball into his stumps and Yorkshire’s plight worsened when Robin Martin-Jenkins curved one away from skipper Anthony McGrath and had him caught behind.

Vaughan, too, almost played on to Martin-Jenkins early in his innings but he reacted quickly enough to kick the ball away in the nick of time.

It was a rare anxious moment, however, for Vaughan, who steadily rebuilt the innings with Gerard Brophy (68 not out) as Yorkshire made 227-5.

His first half-century of the season came off 87 balls with four fours and a six and he eventually fell to his 116th delivery after adding an invaluable 117 for the fourth wicket with Brophy.

Vaughan pulled his penultimate ball from Martin-Jenkins into the crowd in the East Stand but the next appeared just to shave the off-bail with wicketkeeper, Matt Prior, stood up to the stumps. The batsman looked at umpire Vanburn Holder and walked immediately when the dismissal was confirmed.

Sussex openers Ed Joyce and Joe Gatting fell cheaply to Tim Bresnan, who finished with figures of 4-35, and although Murray Goodwin and Luke Wright brought Sussex back into contention with a 90 stand in 22 overs, the brave resistance was ultimately ended with the last wicket going down at 213 with eight balls remaining.

Wicketkeeper Brophy snared five victims behind the stumps – a record for Yorkshire in the competition.