Champs frustrate England hopefuls.

CRICKET COUNTY Champions Durham were in no mood to provide England's fringe batsmen a glorified net session in the rain-ruined season curtain-raiser at Lord's.

Michael Vaughan (12), Ian Bell (12) and Rob Key (5) were hoping to use their innings for the MCC to stake a claim for England's troublesome No 3 position ahead of next month's Test series with West Indies.

However, Durham's Australian-born pacemen Mitch Claydon and Callum Thorp grabbed the headlines on the fourth and final day of the match, which ended in a drab draw.

Targeting another Ashes series this summer, Vaughan fell cheaply to former Yorkshire team-mate Claydon as MCC stumbled to 126 for seven before bad light set in.

The 34-year-old began the 2009 season intent on securing an England slot and despite a disappointing score, his nemesis Claydon, an

Aussie who plays for Durham by virtue of a UK passport courtesy of his British parents, has no doubt the Aussies would rather not face Vaughan in the Ashes.

"He is a class player, I saw that when I was playing for Yorkshire, so I am sure they would rather see an England side without him," he said. "He's a big-game player. He proved that last time the Ashes were here." Vaughan began watchfully only to perish in infuriating manner - flashing at a long hop.

"It's not how I would have liked to get it but short and wide will do," said Claydon. "I had a plan to pitch it up and try to knock him out.

"But I couldn't get the ball out of my hand being nervous and stuff." Claydon's fellow Aussie Thorp, who also qualifies as an English player by virtue of his parents, returned the best bowling figures of four for 15. His victims included Rob Key and Ian Bell, who both have England ambitions.

Durham's new signing Ian Blackwell got his career with the champions off to a perfect start with an unbeaten century (102) while new skipper Will Smith was on 71 not out when he declared on 311-4.

Vaughan made a swift exit from Lord's, where he was hoping to let his batting do his talking.

Before the four-day match, wrecked by wet weather, he said: "Everyone in the team will be looking at this as a showcase and a chance to go out and perform really well. This isn't just a pre-season jolly for us. My ambition hasn't changed. I'd love to play in the Test match here against the West Indies." Claydon's targets are less ambitious but nevertheless challenging, having thrown his lot in fully with Durham despite a call to play for New South Wales this past winter and revoke his English-qualified status.

He said: "Durham is a side that is harder to get into than get out of. It is quite a successful side so once you are actually in there you stay there. If I get an opportunity to start I have to take it with both hands." LORDS: Durham 311-4dec (Di Venuto53, Stoneman 49, Smith 71no, Blackwell 102no; Bresnan 2-56; MCC 126-7 (Moore 45; Thorp 4-15, Plunkett 1-41, Claydon 1-14)..

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CONTRASTING FORTUNES: Michael Vaughan (main picture, in action at Lord's) and Mitch Claydon (inset)