Finan and Hull Share Day One Wickets at Yorkshire

By Graham Hardcastle, ECB Reporters' Network.

Fin Bean’s superb 118 marked his maiden century and ensured Yorkshire controlled a shortened opening day of their LV= Insurance County Championship fixture against Leicestershire at Headingley.

The title favourites got their first Division Two campaign since 2012 off to the ideal start at 285 for three in 60 overs. 

Rookie opener Bean provided the foundations and fellow left-hander Dawid Malan, who posted 91 not out.

Bean, the 20-year-old who scored a record-breaking 441 in the second team last summer, hit a friendly ton last weekend. But this 149-ball innings represented his first competitive first-team hundred. Either side of a three hours and five minutes rain delay from 2.25pm, Malan progressed effortlessly. 

Leicestershire were unable to impose themselves after electing to bowl, and before lunch teenaged England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed conceded 22 in his first of only four overs in the day. His other three cost six more runs.

There has been much hype around Ahmed’s return to county cricket at the start of an Ashes summer following the 18-year-old’s seven-wicket Test debut in Karachi in December. But he came back down to earth with a bump as Bean took him to task in the contest’s 20th over.

His first ball was a loopy head high full toss, a no ball despatched over midwicket for four. His second, also a full toss, got the same treatment. 

Bean hit four fours in the over before Chris Wright was immediately called to replace Ahmed from the Howard Stand End.

Bean drove well and displayed fast hands in punishing anything short outside off stump, hitting 19 boundaries.

His chance at the top of the order has come due to new White Rose captain Shan Masood’s early season unavailability due to international commitments.

Bean would likely have batted at three had the Pakistan man been available.

Last summer, he broke the all-time Second XI Championship record for the highest ever individual score with 441 against Nottinghamshire and immediately earned a Yorkshire rookie contract having started 2022 working as a mechanic.

Bean’s opening partner Adam Lyth is captaining Yorkshire this week. Not only is Masood unavailable, but his designated stand-in Jonny Tattersall has a finger injury.

That means overseas debutant Shai Hope takes the wicketkeeping gloves.

Lyth was trapped lbw by debutant left-arm quick Josh Hull, a Grace Road Academy product who struck with his fourth ball as Yorkshire fell to 35 for one in the 10th over. Towering Hull encouraged with one for 47 from 12 overs. 

James Wharton, for 24, was the second morning wicket when caught behind down leg off Michael Finan, the hosts later advancing to lunch at 134 for two.

The Foxes were dealt a blow after the break when seamer Matt Salisbury pulled up injured after two balls of his eighth over.

It was a somewhat of a surprise that Ahmed was left to stew on his expensive start until six overs before close, though the ease at which Malan had settled at the crease will no doubt have influenced captain Lewis Hill.

Malan worked, steered, cut and drove as he hit 13 boundaries in 127 balls, sharing 165 inside 33 overs with Bean, who had earlier added 69 with second-wicket partner Wharton.  

When play resumed at 5.30pm after the rain, Bean picked up the 18 runs he needed to get to three figures off 132 balls, uppercutting Finan for four over gully.

But he edged the same man to first slip, where Colin Ackermann took a sharp catch as Yorkshire fell to 269 for three in the 54th over.