ENGLAND batsman Michael Vaughan looked to be somewhere near his elegant best as Yorkshire continued to dominate their opening championship game of the season at Canterbury today.

After bowling Kent out for 142 yesterday Yorkshire prospered as Vaughan and Anthony McGrath took them past 50 for the loss of Simon Widdup, who reached 14 this morning before edging Martin Saggers to be caught by James Hockley at second slip.

It was a poor stroke by Widdup, who had been beaten by a similar delivery the ball before he was dismissed.

Later in the same over Vaughan pulled a short ball from Saggers effortlessly over mid-wicket for six and when the bowler overpitched he clipped him through square leg for four more.

Kent were without Mark Ealham during the morning session as he was attending a family funeral and Martin McCague fielded in his place.

McGrath settled in carefully but when Matthew Flemming, who replaced David Masters in the first bowling change, gave him some width outside off stump he cut him fiercely to the boundary.

A cover four by Vaughan off Flemming took Yorkshire past 50 in the 20th over after they had resumed on 12 without loss and the opener steered the Kent skipper's next delivery to the third man rope.

Flemming had a minor success when he found the edge of Vaughan's bat but the ball did not carry to the slips.

When Masters switched to the pavilion end McGrath went on the back foot to plant him through the covers for another boundary and after 28 overs Yorkshire had cruised on to 71 for

one.

Meanwhile, an injury to England fast bowler Matthew Hoggard was the only blemish on a successful first day of the season for Yorkshire yesterday.

They dismissed Kent, who had scored nearly 500 in their opening match against champions Surrey last week, for 142 and reached 12 without loss when rain ended play for the day shortly after tea.

Yorkshire went into the match without all-rounder Gavin Hamilton, who declared himself unfit because of a hamstring strain, and early in the afternoon session they suffered an even more stunning blow when Hoggard left the field with a back strain.

Yorkshire's new coach Wayne Clark said: "He hurt his back picking up a ball in the outfield some time before he went off.

"We will have to wait to assess the extent of the injury but England's management have been informed and it may be that he will have to go for some checks today."

Match continues.

Updated: 14:45 Thursday, April 26, 2001