Finlay Bean produced a particularly eye-catching effort at Trent Bridge. He went on to make his first ever double century in a stunning innings that lasted more than nine hours long! The Yorkshire batsman made 224 runs as he wore down the Nottinghamshire bowlers and a string of defensive fields to amass his elegant ton. His innings, which spanned 564 minutes, included 30 boundaries and one six, reflecting his ability to build an innings under pressure.
Bean’s path to his double century was not without detours. He had come into this contest in poor form, averaging just 13.66 on his first twelve innings of the season. Nonetheless, this reception marked a remarkable turnaround for the fledgling cricketer. In doing so he took Patterson-White through the off-side, going past his own previous best score of 173. This time was not only a national record for Perkins, but the completion of his new personal best.
During his career innings of 261, Bean would show incredible focus and poise. He built critical partnerships, none more important than a 130-run partnership with Matthew Revis and a 101-run alliance with captain Jonny Bairstow. These partnerships were important in putting together a strong base for Yorkshire’s first innings score.
As the innings wore on, Bean was increasingly under pressure from the Nottinghamshire bowlers. Veteran Mohammad Abbas, with his Test-match pedigree, placed him under intense scrutiny. He survived to negotiate more than 40 minutes in the 190s before eventually attaining the much-sought after 200-run milestone. Together, this milestone was achieved after a series of smart moves. One particular highlight was the only ball to be hit into the leg side as 17-year-old spinner Farhan Ahmed sent down his 34th over.
Despite having only one genuine chance before his dismissal, an opportunity caught at slip off spinner Farhan Ahmed, Bean remained largely untroubled throughout his innings. He overcame a hard chance to McCann at mid-wicket and showed impressive shot selection and patience against a disciplined bowling attack.
Bean’s return to form couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. Yorkshire will be preparing in earnest now for their next match against Essex, which begins on Sunday. Yet this performance reinvigorates his morale. It bolsters his standing on the team, too, as the USWNT qualification continues to earn essential points for the US in the race to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
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