County Championship: Fin Bean hits century for Yorkshire before Pears bite back

Yorkshire opener Fin Bean beat his previous career-best score of 118

Yorkshire opener Fin Bean hit a career-best 135, his third first-class century in only 10 matches, as the Tykes posted a first-innings total of 407 against Worcestershire.

But the Pears hit back well after Yorkshire had looked well set on 177-0.

They then took all 10 wickets in the space of 52.1 overs to secure three bowling points.

Their efforts were well led by young paceman Adam Finch who, having gone for 48 runs off his first five overs the previous day, bounced back well to finish with 5-100, only his second career "five-fer".

But Yorkshire then struck two decisive blows before the close when they removed both home openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby.

Bean had twice been dropped on the first morning, while opening partner Adam Lyth had enjoyed one life. But, after a slightly late start at New Road, they were finally parted after adding just 23 further runs when Lyth was lbw to angled in-ducker from Ben Gibbon.

But their partnership was still Yorkshire's best opening stand for seven years, since Lyth and Alex Lees shared 185 against Durham at Headingley in 2016.

After a lengthy stoppage for rain, Bean completed his century before Yorkshire old boy Matthew Waite exacted revenge for two of the previous day's dropped chances with two wickets in two overs.

James Wharton pushed forward to his third ball of the day and was lbw and then South Africa international Ryan Rickelton, on his Tykes debut, and on his 27th birthday too, survived only 10 balls.

He gave compatriot Roderick a comfortable catch the ball after cutting Waite for four.

Bean then twice hit slog-sweep sixes off left-arm spinner Josh Baker before trying to work Finch to leg and being given out lbw.

Jonny Tattersall was lbw to Finch after aiming a blow through mid-wicket, then George Hill completed a 55-ball half-century before being bowled to give spinner Baker his first scalp.

Finch then had Matthew Fisher strangled down the legside before Ben Coad and Matthew Revis took Yorkshire to a fourth batting point.

With 21 overs to face, Worcestershire quickly lost opener Roderick to Fisher as he nicked to Bean at third slip, before Wharton picked up stand-in home skipper Libby at short leg off Coad.

But Azhar Ali and Jack Haynes had no further alarms as they reached the close eight overs ahead of schedule due to bad light.