Leaning is quick to seize his chance for Yorkshire

We already know, of course, that they are a good side; not for nothing are they most people’s Championship favourites.

But it is the extent of their resources – as much as their excellence – that makes them such a formidable foe.

Why, young Jack Leaning is proof of that depth, the 20-year-old batsman slipping effortlessly so far into the sizeable shoes left by New Zealand’s Kane Williamson.

Leaning – son of current Leeds United goalkeeping coach Andy – has been handed his chance in the Championship side while Williamson is away on his country’s tour of West Indies.

With Joe Root and Gary Ballance on England duty also, a vacancy has arisen at the top of the order, and although it is a tough ask for a young man playing only his third Championship game, Leaning has so far handled it with aplomb.

A maiden half-century at Northamptonshire last week helped Yorkshire to victory at Wantage Road.

And against superior opposition at Headingley yesterday, Leaning once more rose to the challenge, his unbeaten 23 helping Yorkshire to 52-2 in reply to Nottinghamshire’s 205.

When Leaning arrived at the crease at 3.45pm, Yorkshire were 0-1 and you sensed the sniff of a possible collapse.

Facing him was a fired-up Peter Siddle, the Australian pace bowler who has almost 200 Test wickets to his credit.

Siddle had just removed Adam Lyth with the second ball of the innings – a fine delivery that the Yorkshire opener did well to edge to wicketkeeper Chris Read.

But on a two-paced pitch that offered something to the bowlers, Leaning not only survived for an hour but flourished too before rain washed out the last 23.1 overs.

Of course, there is much work yet for Leaning and his team-mates to be done.

Nottinghamshire’s score is not formidable – their decision to bat first was bold given the muggy/damp feel to a day that alternated between cloud cover and sunshine – but nor is it so bad as to render them out of contention.

But after Siddle followed up with the wicket of Lyth’s fellow opener Alex Lees – also caught behind – Leaning and captain Andrew Gale prevented further incursions at a critical time.

And so a game between two strong counties is intriguingly poised, with Yorkshire hopeful of a first innings lead.

“Our target is always to get 400 as a minimum, so hopefully we can get up to that,” said Leaning.

“I’ve managed to get a start myself and I need to kick on now and try to build on my innings at Northampton last week.

“Yorkshire is a really good club to be at as a young player because you do get opportunities.

“But I know I’ve got to warrant my place by performing well.”

After visiting captain Chris Read chose to back his batsmen instead of letting his bowlers loose, Yorkshire should have had a wicket from the day’s third ball.

Phil Jaques, who left Yorkshire at the end of last season, edged Tim Bresnan to fourth slip, where Adil Rashid spilled a sharp opportunity.

Jaques rubbed salt into the wounds by square-driving Jack Brooks for four and he had helped to lift the score to 32 by the time the first wicket fell in the 10th over, Alex Hales bowled by the excellent Steve Patterson.

In the next over, Jaques was caught low down at second slip by Adam Lyth off Bresnan, who posed plenty of problems from the Kirkstall Lane end.

Brooks, the leading wicket-taker in first-class cricket this season, added two more to his tally as Nottinghamshire slipped to 46-4.

James Taylor – back at the ground where he made his Test debut against South Africa two years ago – was lbw to a full ball and Samit Patel caught at point for a fourth-ball duck as Rashid made amends for his earlier miss.

After their confident start, Nottinghamshire had lost 4-14 in 57 balls.

They were grateful to Michael Lumb and Riki Wessels, who steadied the ship to take them into lunch on 84-4.

Wessels fell in the second over after the break when he was caught at second slip by Lyth off Brooks.

Lumb, when on 44, was dropped by Rich Pyrah at cover off Patterson, but the former Yorkshire batsman had added only one more to his total when he was strangled down the leg-side off Bresnan.

Read was run-out in controversial fashion after colliding with Patterson, the bowler, before Leaning threw down the stumps from mid-on, the Nottinghamshire captain clearly unimpressed with the decision and now facing possible censure for dissent.

And when Bresnan had his ex-Yorkshire team-mate Ajmal Shahzad lbw for a fourth-ball duck, the visitors were 139-8, only for a ninth-wicket stand of 65 in 11 overs between Siddle and Luke Fletcher to win them a batting point before Rashid ended the innings by having both Fletcher and Andre Adams caught at long-on by Bresnan.