But his first-wicket partnership with captain Graeme Smith has been one of South Africa's real strengths. They are the only opening pair in Test cricket to have notched three triple-century stands. All-rounder Andrew Hall, who has signed to play for Kent for next summer, was promoted to the top of the order in India and made a century in the First Test.
But, back on home soil, the selectors look ready to gamble on 20-year-old Abraham de Villiers as Smith's opening partner. They have also included his 21-year-old Northern Province fast bowling team-mate Dale Steyn to pep up an attack that will be outgunned for pace by England.
The biggest worry for Vaughan ahead of the Test series is whether four days of warm-up cricket will be enough, especially for those eight members of his squad who were not in Zimbabwe and haven't batted or bowled in anger for up to three months. England were " desperate" to have an outdoor practice session today but rain forced them to head indoors.
Tomorrow's one-day game against an invitation XI must be in doubt already and if that match is washed out then only the fixture with South Africa A will remain.
Vaughan has decided to rest for the opening match of the tour against Nicky Oppenheimer's XI in Randjesfontein tomorrow. Marcus Trescothick, who missed the tours of Namibia and Zimbabwe, will lead the side. All eight of the Test specialists are also included in the line-up.
Steve Harmison is one of them. He said: "We had a long summer so it was nice to have a good break.
"You could argue 'yes' and you could argue 'no' as to whether four days of cricket is enough before the Test series. I believe three months' rest was what I needed, anyway. Hopefully, I can continue where I left off in the summer."
England team for tomorrow: Trescothick (capt), Key, Butcher, Thorpe, Flintoff, Collingwood, Read (wkt), Batty, S Jones, Hoggard, Harmison.
South Africa Test squad: Smith (capt), De Villiers, Rudolph, Kallis, Hall, Amla, Dippenaar, De Bruyn, Pollock, Boje, Tsolekile (wkt), Ntini, Steyn.
