THE pace has dropped a few miles per hour, the locks cropped to skinhead proportions and the home county switched 200 miles down the M1, but Darren Gough's competitive edge remains as honed as ever.

He may be 34 years of age but the Barnsley-born speedster still has plenty of fizz left in the engine.

He was England's premier Test striker bowler for almost a decade picking up 229 wickets at under 30 runs a piece, before deciding to retire from the five-day game in 2003.

This summer with wickets in the bag for Essex and in the one-day game for England he may be ruing that decision.

Three operations on his left knee have taken their toll but the chance to again lock horns with the Aussies in the Ashes could tempt the paceman back if the selectors came knocking.

The chances of that remain slim at best, with question marks over his ability to sustain his bowling over a Test match.

But yesterday he again showed he is approaching top form with his opening spell from the Finchale end. Two overs for five runs, however, soon became four overs for 18 as Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist set about getting Ricky Ponting's side off to the perfect start.

But the ultra competitive Gough, in tandem with fellow opening bowler Chris Tremlett, came back again to rein in the opening pair.

Coming back has become something of a speciality for the fast bowler who controversially swapped his home county for Chelmsford two seasons ago.

His knees may have been virtually rebuilt, but he can still produce it in the limited overs game. He finished his first spell with figures of six overs for 22 runs. His fielding duties around the boundary were carried out with his usual zest and enthusiasm and the occasional bout of banter with the locals.

He was eventually called back into the attack with the score on 184 for three with 12 overs left.

Facing was Andrew Symonds on 49 not out, picking up a single off the second delivery to reach his 50.

If the Aussies thought they'd target the 34-year-old, they'd reckoned without his ability to bowl quick accurate yorker length deliveries.

Four off his first over back, six off the next. Acceleration was not forthcoming. This time he was in tandem with Giles and, with the score on 199, Gough showed he still takes his fielding seriously.

Chasing down an edge to third man by Damien Martyn Gough was quick to pick up and throw on the turn as the batsmen turned for a third run.

The throw wasn't the best but should have been good enough to run out Symonds. Unfortunately wicketkeeper Geraint Jones decided to stand in front of the stumps and when he tried to throw them down he missed - from five yards!

The Yorkshireman's exertions were all too much for stand-in skipper Marcus Trescothick who decided to rest his strike bowler till the death.

He returned a second time - again from the Finchale end - with four overs of the innings remaining and the Aussies certainly looking to push on at 240 for four.

His fourth ball to Mike Hussey showed he'd lost none of his control with a delivery pitching leg, beating the left-hander and missing off.

Just four from the fourth last over would certainly have pleased his skipper, and the crowd at the third man boundary showed their appreciation.

His final over began with two straight past the bowler then a dot ball.

Gough being Gough then walked past Shane Watson and remembered the Lumley Castle Hotel ghost story that has been doing the rounds this week.

Watson slept on the floor in Brett Lee's room so scared was he of the spectre apparently haunting the hotel the Aussie squad were staying at.

His impression of a Scooby Doo-type ghoul was not best received by Watson - the crowd however, loved it.

No wickets but just 41 runs from his ten overs prove Gough can still mix it with the best, and he proved he can still spook the opposition.