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England hopefuls Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell fell for a dozen apiece in a rain-shortened draw between the MCC and county champions Durham at Lord's.

Having spent more than two days in the pavilion frustrated by rain, they were among those to fall in gloomy conditions as MCC struggled to 124 for seven before the light deteriorated sufficiently to hasten an agreement on a draw.

Inclusion in this fixture offered an early opportunity to stake a claim for an Ashes place later this summer, but they were dismissed by a pair of Australians in county champions Durham's attack as each man went for 12.

Former England captain Vaughan edged a wide delivery from former Yorkshire colleague Mitchell Claydon while Bell, dropped from the Test team following February's capitulation to West Indies in Jamaica, was one of Callum Thorp's quartet of victims.

Vaughan, 34, will not now get another opportunity to make an impression ahead of the announcement of the squad for the first Test against West Indies, which is scheduled to be some time next weekend.

His next outing will be against the same opposition at Chester-le-Street in 10 days' time.

Bell will now be hoping for better weather as Warwickshire begin their Division One return in the County Championship against Somerset later this coming week.

Umpires Jeremy Lloyds and Neil Bainton dictated that play could begin at 1pm, following an early lunch, and Durham's declaration allowed the representative side the possibility of 75 overs before the close.

But they were soon reeling, five down at tea, after Thorp, who qualifies for county cricket by virtue of his British parents, claimed four for 15 from 13 overs.

Vaughan was in after six overs when MCC captain Robert Key was turned around by a delivery from Thorp which squirted low to gully off the outside edge.

He took 10 deliveries to get off the mark, leaving the ball judiciously outside off-stump, but climbed into two short deliveries to cut boundaries off both Liam Plunkett and Claydon.

But chasing another one outside off led to his downfall as he flashed an edge behind in Claydon's first over.

A switch to the Nursery End provided an immediate dividend for Thorp as opener Stephen Moore was undone by a big outswinger.

Bell, 27 yesterday, was then the first of two wickets in the 29th over of the innings - following one which left him in the air moments before James Foster was trapped leg before by a straighter delivery.

Durham might have claimed a sixth success inside one extended session but wicketkeeper Phil Mustard failed to cling on above his head after Adil Rashid swished at a delivery from Graham Onions.

They did so early in the final session, and in spectacular manner, as Rashid had his off-stump tumbled by a full, swinging delivery from Plunkett.

Tim Bresnan was then trapped leg before to provide a deserved success for Onions, shortly before hands were shaken on a stalemate.

Earlier, Durham pulled out of their first innings on 311 for four, leaving Ian Blackwell, scorer of the summer's maiden first-class hundred, unbeaten on 102.

Although the covers remained off the square on the final morning of a rain-ruined contest between MCC and Durham, the damp outfield prevented play before lunch, which was taken one hour early.

Sporting Life / Eurosport