Picture by John Heald. Fin Bean cuts the boundary, against Farhan Ahmed’s spin, which took him to his century this morning.
Fin Bean believes the match situation against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge played into his hands today as he completed a brilliant maiden career double hundred.
Bean moved from 86 not out at the start of day three to 224, from 489 balls, shortly before close.
Yorkshire advanced their first-innings reply from 154-3 to 414-6, the deficit now 73.
A Rothesay County Championship draw against the Division One leaders is now almost certain with a day remaining.
Bean’s innings totalled nine hours and 21 minutes, and it was his sixth career first-class hundred and his first up in Division One.
“We spoke at the start of the day on batting a long period of time, and I think that’s one of my biggest strengths – batting long periods of time,” he said.
“It has been growing up, and I’m just glad I could do it today.”
Bean’s previous high score in this season’s Championship was 31, but he expertly put any frustration behind him with 30 fours and one six.
“There is relief. Obviously, it’s been a tough start to the year,” he went on.
“Batting’s been tough on result pitches, but the belief was always there, and then it was just about when I get in, capitalise and go big. I’m just glad I did that.
“It (the pitch) was tricky against the spin because of the rough outside off-stump.
“There isn’t that much spin from straight, although it is starting to do a little bit more. And then off seam, when they took the second new ball, it started to go a bit up and a bit down, a bit of variable bounce.
“But, yeah, it’s just being patient, disciplined and batting long periods of time, which suits my game.”
Bean also feels that the recent break for the start of the Vitality Blast T20 competition came at a good time for him, the left-hander not featuring in that format of the game.
“The white ball block’s been quite good for me to free me up in the second team, clear my head, get away from cricket for a little bit,” he said.
“That’s done me the world of good, to be honest.
“Obviously, this will give me some confidence in my game. Hopefully I can just build from it.”
