A gritty and elegant right-handed batsman, Vaughan continued this form in the winter of 2002 with three large centuries against Australia, which earned him the player of the series award, despite England losing the Ashes 4-1, and the treasured ranking as the number one batsman in the world.

On his return home he took charge of the one-day side and just two weeks later succeeded Nasser Hussain as England's Test captain as well. After gaining a 2-2 draw against South Africa and losing 1-0 on tour to Sri Lanka in 2003, Vaughan's tactical wisdom and astute captaincy helped England enjoy an unprecedented two-year run of success which would climax with the reclaiming of the Ashes.

 

At the start of 2004 Vaughan's side won a series in the West Indies for the first time in 36 years, and then whitewashed both New Zealand, 3-0, and the West Indies, 4-0, in England during the summer of 2004.

Victory over South Africa in the first Test in Port Elizabeth at the end of the year gave England a record eighth consecutive Test win, and they would leave South Africa at the end of that tour with their first series victory there for 40 years.

In the summer of 2005 Vaughan led England to that dramatic 2-1 win over Australia to reclaim the Ashes and spark the now iconic scenes of him and his team celebrating from an open-top bus in front of thousands of fans in central London.

After playing only two more Tests in the autumn of 2005, a persistent and serious knee injury would keep Vaughan out of action for the next eighteen months until he returned during the Commonwealth Bank One-day series in Australia.

Last summer Vaughan scored a century, which he describes as one of his best ever innings, in his comeback Test against the West Indies at Headingley and overtook Peter May's record of 20 wins as England captain during a 3-0 series victory.

After series defeats to India at home and away to Sri Lanka, Vaughan led England to a stirring 2-1 win on tour to New Zealand earlier this year to provide his squad with some crucial momentum ahead of this summer of cricket.

At the start of 2004 Vaughan's side won a series in the West Indies for the first time in 36 years, and then whitewashed both New Zealand, 3-0, and the West Indies, 4-0, in England during the summer of 2004.

Victory over South Africa in the first Test in Port Elizabeth at the end of the year gave England a record eighth consecutive Test win, and they would leave South Africa at the end of that tour with their first series victory there for 40 years.

In the summer of 2005 Vaughan led England to that dramatic 2-1 win over Australia to reclaim the Ashes and spark the now iconic scenes of him and his team celebrating from an open-top bus in front of thousands of fans in central London.

After playing only two more Tests in the autumn of 2005, a persistent and serious knee injury would keep Vaughan out of action for the next eighteen months until he returned during the Commonwealth Bank One-day series in Australia.

Last summer Vaughan scored a century, which he describes as one of his best ever innings, in his comeback Test against the West Indies at Headingley and overtook Peter May's record of 20 wins as England captain during a 3-0 series victory.

After series defeats to India at home and away to Sri Lanka, Vaughan led England to a stirring 2-1 win on tour to New Zealand earlier this year to provide his squad with some crucial momentum ahead of this summer of cricket.