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England's dismal showing in day one of the second Test against South Africa dominates Friday's back pages.

There was to be no dream start for new England cricket captain Michael Vaughan as Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs ran riot after England had been bowled out for a desperately poor score.

"Already this looks a game beyond England's winning and one they will do well to save," writes The Guardian.

"Only Gough's defiant last-wicket stand spared England's new captain total humiliation," is The Independent's verdict.

THE HEADLINES Daily Telegraph: Vaughan brought down to earth The Times: Troubles mount for England as Smith piles on pressure The Sun: Vieira: I stay The Guardian: Vaughan's England stink from the start Daily Express: It can only get better Daily Star: Storm Claud Daily Mail: Vaughan's nightmare The Independent: England's first-day nightmare for Vaughan

"Barring something miraculous today [Friday], the melancholy sequence for England this week looks like being a lost captain, a lost toss and a lost match," predicts The Times.

On the bright side, many of the papers helpfully point out that only one out of the last 10 England Test captains has made a winning start - former captain Nasser Hussain against New Zealand at Edgbaston in 1999.

If Vaughan did not realise the size of his task when he took on the Test captaincy on Monday, he certainly does now.

Away from the cricket post-mortem, the tabloids still manage to find plenty of room for the latest football transfer rumours.

The Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Star all report that Southampton are preparing a �5m bid for West Ham striker Jermain Defoe.

And all the broadsheets report that Nigel Martin will join Chelsea this weekend after financial constraints forced Leeds boss Peter Reid to accept a �500,000 fee for the former England goalkeeper.

In other football news, The Guardian reports that Manchester United's bid to crack America has suffered a setback after the Premiership champions were criticised for not playing Major League Soccer clubs.

Sections of the American media have questioned United's decision to play Juventus, Celtic and Barcelona while snubbing teams such as New York/New Jersey MetroStars or Columbus Crew.

The same paper also reports on the news that London Broncos' young Geordie half-back Chris Thorman has signed a two-year contract with Australian rugby league side Parramatta Eels.

Thorman, who reportedly rejected offers from Hull and St Helens, will be the first Geordie to play in the self-styled "toughest rugby competition in the world".