‘I didn’t choose my surname’ – Archie Vaughan on living with a legacy

Archie Vaughan was born in 2005, when his father, Michael, famously led England to glory in the Ashes, but his legacy still lives on.

Although Vaughan, 19, who is set to start his second full season with Somerset, has a surname etched in cricket history, there are undoubtedly expectations that come with it.

The teenager is composed and modest, determined to improve on a breakout season that saw him bat 33.71 with the bat in the County Championship, take 15 wickets with his off-spin, including two five-wicket hauls, and be named England Under-19s captain in January against South Africa.

Vaughan told BBC Sport, “The pressure of expectation is just outside noise, and it certainly doesn’t come from my dad.”

He has had a significant impact, but what I admire most is how he takes a step back and simply lets me enjoy it, letting my coaches do it. I can’t thank him enough for allowing me to be my own man instead of letting me be myself.

Vaughan is aware of the significance and impact it had on the generations before him, despite the fact that he claims to have not seen any footage of the iconic 2005 series with his father.

The other characters in that series also bear the famous surname. Rocky Flintoff, the son of former all-rounder Andrew, has attracted a lot of praise for his bat-as-against-lancashire and England Lions performances.

At the under-19 level, there has already been a Vaughan-Flintoff reunion, and Vaughan believes it is beneficial to have some well-known cricketing fathers as partners.

He said, “We’ve been playing together since we were kids, and we’ve had a few conversations about it.”

Being only 16 and subject to so much noise and attention, it must be a big challenge for him. Someone else should be in the same boat, which is nice.

Vaughan’s success with the ball was unexpected because he had spent most of his youth playing the bat and scoring against Surrey, who had lost the county championship in September. His best performance came in September when he scored 11-140 against Surrey, who finished third overall.

The England Under-19s’ Youth Test against South Africa, which Vaughan won by 10 wickets, was his opening match of 2025.

Given that he only bowled seam before during the Covid-19 lockdown, he turned to bowling spin out of boredom.

Vaughan remarked, “It definitely caught me by surprise.”

“I’d still probably say I’m a batter, but I’ll continue to work hard, and it’s just about managing my expectations.”

I’ve been batting for as long as I can remember, whereas I haven’t been bowling for very long because I started it improperly in my back garden during lockdown.

Vaughan acknowledges that his family gave him the “great opportunity” to attend Millfield School and pursue his cricketing ambitions, but he is incredibly motivated to make the most of it.

Vaughan is confident in other areas, despite the fact that he is not drawn to comparisons to his father’s batting and captaincy.

He continued, “I’m pretty certain I’m a better off-spinner than him.” And I’m undoubtedly a better fielder.