Far more than a Hill of Bean(s) for Yorkshire as youngsters shine

Yorkshire young guns Finlay Bean and George Hill posted superb centuries - 114 and 101 respectively - to ensure their side dominated the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Gloucestershire at Headingley.

Left-handed opener Bean faced 153 balls for his second century of the Division Two season - and the second of the 21-year-old's fledgling career. It was the main contribution in Yorkshire's 393 for 6 from 91 overs.

He shared a stand of 57 with Dawid Malan for the third wicket during the morning and then 153 for the fourth either side of lunch with fellow up and comer George Hill, who then faced 180 balls and shared 111 for the fifth wicket with Jonny Tattersall.

It was allrounder Hill's first century of the summer, with Gloucestershire too loose with the Kookaburra ball having been asked to bowl in excellent batting conditions.

Left-arm seamer Taylor stood out like a sore thumb amongst his colleagues with three for 43 from 17 overs, including Tattersall late on for 79. Five overs were lost to evening rain.

Play was watched by Yorkshire's new chair Harry Chathli and also their former County Championship title-winning coach Jason Gillespie, the Australian bowling legend who was triumphant with the county in 2014 and 2015.

He is back in the UK for the Ashes and back at Headingley for the first time since leaving. Things have changed dramatically since Gillespie departed at the end of 2016, his side having just missed out on a third successive Championship title to Middlesex.

Not only has there been upheaval off the field, results have fallen drastically on it as well, highlighted by this being a Division Two encounter.

Only Adam Lyth and Matthew Fisher from the current side played four-day cricket during the Australian legend's golden tenure.

But the performances of two young players who were only playing county age-group during Gillespie's tenure should serve as indication of future promise.

Lyth's opening partner Bean, 21, was playing for Yorkshire Under 14s during Gillespie's last year in 2016 and Hill for the Under 15s.

Bean has enjoyed an encouraging start to life in senior cricket having returned to the club last summer following a brief break to go and work as a mechanic.

He earned a rookie contract on the back of a record-breaking 441 in the second team last year and made his first-team bow in August.

He played a trio of Championship matches last September, but was a first choice starter at the beginning of April and scored 118 in the opening round defeat here against Leicestershire.

Bean watched on from the non-striker's end as three senior partners departed before lunch, including Lyth and captain Shan Masood within four balls to Taylor as the score slipped to 33 for 2 in the sixth over. Lyth edged to second slip trying to leave alone before Masood was trapped lbw for a three-ball duck.

Bean shared 57 with another left-hander, Dawid Malan, who looked in good order for 28 before being caught behind down leg trying pull Ben Charlesworth's seam - 90 for 3 in the 17th.

But Gloucestershire's good early work was eroded thanks to their inability to limit the fours, especially to the short boundary towards the East Stand side of this ground.

Hill, 22, is more advanced in his development than Bean - a right-hander particularly strong against spin. Hill has been frustrated by his inability to build on starts over the last couple of seasons. But he did here. This was his best of four times beyond 50 in the Championship this season.

Bean reached his century off 140 balls midway through the afternoon. But he only faced 13 more deliveries and fell caught at deep square-leg pulling at Zaman Akhter - 243 for 4 in the 53rd over.

After tea, Hill moved into the nineties and took Yorkshire beyond 300 by helping Tattersall take 19 from the 72nd over against Gohar, including a slog-swept six over midwicket.

He reached his century off 177 balls before falling caught behind off Ollie Price's offspin. And when Taylor, now bowling with the new ball, had Tattersall caught at second slip, Yorkshire were 368 for 6 after 86 overs.