Michael Vaughan hit an unblemished century crammed with magical strokes to propel Yorkshire into the semi-finals of the Benson and Hedges Cup with a sparkling eight-wicket win over Somerset at Taunton yesterday.

Vaughan's amazing 125 not out brought him his first century in one-day cricket and it was a gold award winning display which stood head and shoulders above anything else the other five England stars in the match could manage.

Even Darren Lehmann was happy to play a supporting role as Vaughan tore Somerset's attack to ribbons and the Australian was straight down the pitch to offer his congratulations when Vaughan ran the single which took him into three figures.

Appropriately, it came off England hero Andy Caddick, who Vaughan had earlier treated with elegant contempt while getting his innings off to a rapid start with a fierce assault on the new ball.

Somerset's total of 210 for seven was made to look completely inadequate by Vaughan, who dashed to his century off 112 balls with 15 boundaries.

By the time Yorkshire had raced home with 13.2 overs to spare, Vaughan had smacked a further three fours and a six and faced a total of 128 deliveries.

It was Lehmann who concluded the match with his sixth four in a 60-ball half century and his unbroken third-wicket stand with Vaughan was worth 140 in 23 overs.

In glorious weather and in front of a packed house, Vaughan refused to be intimidated right from the off.

He began by powerfully striking Steffan Jones over mid-wicket and continued by elegantly off-driving Caddick to the fence.

So fierce was the assault that Yorkshire were already 34 by the fifth over when David Byas edged Caddick to Peter Bowler at slip.

Matthew Wood contributed seven to a 29 stand with Vaughan before being lbw hitting across the line at Jason Kerr but this was Somerset's last success, their seven-man attack being ripped apart by the third-wicket pair.

The only awkward moment for Vaughan came when he was caught unawares by a Caddick bouncer but for the rest of the time he was fully in control and the last of his boundaries was a middled drive for six off Michael Burns.

The ease with which Yorkshire were to cruise into the semi-finals was not apparent when Somerset, having won the toss, stood on 131 for one in 31 overs.

But the soft dismissal of captain Jamie Cox for 62 off a Lehmann full toss destroyed Somerset's self belief and Yorkshire bowled so well that only a further 79 runs came off the last 20 overs.

Cox and Peter Bowler, who also made 62, put on 108 for the second wicket after which the batting gently subsided.

Although Vaughan was the star of the show, Darren Gough was also in great form and he outbowled Caddick in a reversal of what happened in the recent Championship match between the sides.

Gough soon claimed the wicket of England colleague Marcus Tresco-thick, who had hit three B&H tons this season, the left-hander driving into Lehmann's hands at cover. And in his first six overs Gough conceded only seven runs - one fewer than Caddick from his first seven balls.

Ryan Sidebottom also kept it tight with two for 34 off ten and although Matthew Hoggard and James Middlebrook were quite expensive it did not matter in the end.

Updated: 12:30 Thursday, May 24, 2001