The England opener’s ninth Test century helped the home side to 374 for seven in reply to South Africa’s 594 for five declared, just 21 short of avoiding the follow-on.
Vaughan, who first took guard late on Saturday, returned to the trenches and held his ground for just short of seven hours to frustrate a lively South African pace at Edgbaston.
When he departed, edging a weary drive behind after a 286-ball show of defiance, England, replying to South Africa’s first innings of 594 for five, were still 89 runs short of avoiding the follow-on.
But all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, the last batsman of note, hit a belligerent 40 and put on an invaluable 63 with tailender Ashley Giles.
Quick bowler Dewald Pretorius took four wickets, including those of Vaughan and Flintoff, who fell lbw to the last ball of the day when an off cutter scuttled through low and hit him on the ankle.
Marcus Trescothick, batting with a fractured right index finger, made a gutsy 31 and put on 66 for the first wicket. Mark Butcher managed just 13 but also helped add 66 for the second.
The limited, dour but utterly determined Anthony McGrath (34) shared an 89-run stand and 84 with Alec Stewart, despite batting for much of his 38-run contribution with a runner after a bottom edge bruised his left knee.
The only man who failed was Nasser Hussain — the man who Vaughan will surely one day replace as captain. He contributed a single in seven balls before fatally playing no stroke to Shaun Pollock’s slide-rule seam bowling.
Whatever Monday’s outcome, South Africa will head for next week’s second Test at Lord’s in buoyant mood, having dominated proceedings throughout since Herschelle Gibbs’s 179 and Graeme Smith’s South African record score of 277.
Their bowlers on Sunday also extracted far more life and sideways movement than their opponents had done.
If England do save the first game of the five-Test series, Vaughan will have to share the credit with the wretched weather, which washed out Friday’s play and also cost a session on Saturday.
SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 594-5 declared (G.C. Smith 277, H.H. Gibbs 179).
ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 25-0):
M.E. Trescothick b Ntini 31
M.P. Vaughan c Boucher b Pretorius 156
M.A. Butcher lbw b Ntini 13
N. Hussain lbw b Pollock 1
A. McGrath c Rudolph b Pretorius 34
A.J. Stewart b Pretorius 38
A. Flintoff lbw b Pretorius 40
A.F. Giles not out 9
EXTRAS (B-19, LB-6, W-11, NB-16) 52
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 112.5 overs) 374
FALL OF WKTS: 1-66, 2-132, 3-133, 4-222, 5-306, 6-311, 7-374.
TO BAT: D. Gough, S.J. Harmison, J.M. Anderson.
BOWLING (to-date): Pollock 24-10-44-1; Ntini 23-6-95-2; Willoughby 20-7-46-0; Pretorius 23.5-1-107-4; Peterson 22-9-57-0.—Reuters