Yorkshire’s Mr Bean seizes his chance in Cup defeat

It might not be long, however, before a different Mr Bean is the first chap we think of.

For in Yorkshire cricketing circles at least, the surname is gaining increasing prominence.

Fin Bean, 20, is the man who recently made a record score in second team cricket of 441 against Nottinghamshire at Lady Bay, the first quadruple hundred in Yorkshire’s history.

It was only a matter of time after that performance, in the final week of June, that Yorkshire’s Mr Bean would play for the first team, and after waiting patiently for his chance in the opening weeks of the Royal London Cup, the powerful left-hander got it yesterday and took it too, scoring 61 from 58 balls with seven fours and a six.

Bean’s debut effort, a splendid innings full of meaty drives and muscular pulls, helped Yorkshire to 282-6 after they were sent into bat in a match reduced by rain to 45 overs per side.

Allied to further good contributions from openers Harry Duke (85) and Will Fraine (68), who shared 118 in 22 overs, and an unbeaten 31 from Matthew Waite from 19 balls, it seemed likely to propel Yorkshire to a fourth win in six group games.

But despite a revised target of 297 which seemed to be getting away from them, Kent got home in dramatic style, winning by three wickets on the DLS method when Grant Stewart, the Italian all-rounder, pulled Matty Revis beyond the boundary to register the six that was needed off the final ball.

If that was remarkable enough, with Stewart’s shot drawing loud cheers among the Canterbury faithful, whose joy resounded like the cathedral bells, almost as audacious was that he had turned down a single off the previous ball.

Stewart had pulled it towards the boundary and there was an easy run on offer, but with batting partner Hamidullah Qadri having only just come to the crease, and with no batting form to speak of, Stewart bravely sent him back.

“This is mine,” he seemed to be saying. “It’s all on me,” or cliches to that effect. So he hitched up his trousers, flexed his muscles, and won the contest off his own bat.

Defeat was tough on Revis, who took three wickets along with Waite, and the bowler stood in despair for a while as the ball sailed into the far distance.

Revis, 20, is a fine young player who will have a long career with bat and ball. These things happen; it’s part of the game.

The result was a blow to Yorkshire’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals; they are sixth in Group B, albeit only one point behind Essex, who occupy the third and final qualifying place.

Yorkshire are one of three sides vying for third place along with Essex, Kent and Glamorgan, and they have a game in hand on each of them.

They need to win their last two matches, against Derbyshire in Chesterfield tomorrow (Sunday) and against second-placed Hampshire in Scarborough on Tuesday to go through.

On a mostly dull day visited by banks of grey cloud, which only later gave way to agreeable sunshine, Fraine and Duke gave Yorkshire a handsome beginning.

Fraine struck the ball beautifully on his way to a 56-ball half-century – some of his strokeplay this season has been a joy to behold – and Duke gave him top-class support; they are growing in stature as an opening pair.

Fraine had hit two sixes and six fours when he fell for 68 from 72 deliveries, perhaps unfortunate to be given out leg-before trying to reverse-sweep off-spinner Qadri to a ball that might have hit him outside the line of off stump.

Duke went to his fifty from 58 deliveries as another good stand blossomed between himself and Bean, who took to the stage with no outward sign of butterflies.

Their stand was worth 107 from 101 balls when Bean departed, trying to hit leg-spinner Joe Denly inside-out but picking out cover. If first impressions are anything to go by, Yorkshire have another excellent young cricketer on their hands.

That they already have one in Duke is clear, and his fine innings ended two balls later when he also skied Denly to cover, leaving the visitors 226-3 in the 39th over.

It was the last action before rain trimmed 10 overs from the contest, Yorkshire losing three more wickets after the restart when George Hill fell in similarly questionable manner to Fraine, perhaps, this time off Denly, before Jonny Tattersall holed out on the leg-side boundary and Revis to cover.

After Waite had Joey Evison caught behind off the first ball of the reply, a fine delivery that shaped away just enough, Ollie Robinson crunched 59 from 37 balls with three sixes and seven fours before holing out on the leg-side boundary off Tom Loten.

Revis captured two quick wickets, including the dangerous Denly for 61 from 71 balls, to leave matters in the balance at 195-4 in the 33rd over, and then Waite bowled Ben Compton for the top score of 81 from 98 deliveries as he tried to scoop.

Harry Finch (42 from 32 balls) and Harry Podmore were both caught on the leg-side boundary off Waite and Revis respectively as Yorkshire managed to hang in there right to the finish.

But one-day cricket is a game of fine lines and, as Ian Smith might have put it, Kent won it by the barest of margins.