Lehmann junior evokes memories of his father as Hill shines for Yorkshire

Few Yorkshire fans would disagree with that - nor Lehmann’s selection in Yorkshire’s greatest all-time XI when we ran a competition some years ago that drew over 5,000 votes.

For the record, the Australian left-hander scored 8,871 runs in 88 first-class games for Yorkshire at an average of 68.76, and 5,229 runs in 130 one-day matches at 49.33, memorably signing off with 339 on his final appearance against Durham in 2006, still the highest innings made at Headingley.

The sight of “LEHMANN” on the two electronic scoreboards at the ground on Friday in big, white, capital letters was thus nostalgic for those of a certain vintage and allegiance.

Jake Lehmann, the 33-year-old Hampshire batsman, is the great man’s son and a chip off the old block in more ways than one, another attacking and stylish left-hander.

He actually played five times for Yorkshire in 2016, averaging 58 in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it short-term stay, and he held Hampshire together here with the top score of 76 from 93 balls with 11 fours as they posted 251 on the first day of cricket at Headingley this season.

The home team, who won the toss and for whom George Hill led the way with 5-46 from 13.1 overs, ended on a wobbly 48-4, fast bowler Sonny Baker taking three late wickets in the space of five balls.

Like father, like son is a tired cliche but there are definite similarities between the two Lehmanns. The stance at the wicket, the deftness through the offside especially, even the slow walk towards square-leg after each ball with the head slightly raised felt somehow familiar and gently evocative.

If there was any criticism of Yorkshire, who manfully stuck to their task with the ball, it was that they fed Lehmann’s strength a little too often, as evidenced by a number of offside boundaries that seized on width.

That said, he is a fine player and it was only because he had just the last man Baker for company that he eventually got out trying for a six over mid-wicket towards the East Stand that gave Hill his fifth wicket.

Before a crowd of some 1,500 in sunny conditions, Yorkshire showed two changes to the side that drew in Glamorgan. Harry Duke replaced Jonny Bairstow (thumb) behind the stumps, and Jhye Richardson came in for fellow pace man Logan van Beek, who had a challenging time on debut in Wales.

Van Beek will no doubt grow into his stint while Richardson, the 29-year-old Australian, impressed in parts on his own Yorkshire debut. It took him 11 balls to claim what would be his solitary wicket, Joe Weatherley caught behind off a good one that moved off the seam and feathered the edge.

Richardson’s pace presented a challenge for Duke behind the stumps and he stood up it well, making good takes. After a fine start all round, Yorkshire found matters more trying as the first session wore on, Nick Gubbins and Tom Prest playing with growing assuredness.

It needed Hill to break their stand just before lunch, Prest lbw as he played around a straight one. A double breakthrough just after the interval left Hampshire 111-4 and in need of Lehmann’s steadying influence.

Gubbins edged the excellent Jack White to third slip, where Fin Bean does not drop very difficult chances let alone regulation ones of that description, and then Hill trapped captain Ben Brown lbw.

Brown, who has had a knack of scoring runs against Yorkshire during his career, shuffled down the pitch and seemed unimpressed with the umpire’s verdict.

Hill was nothing if not unerringly accurate as he reprised his form of last season when he took 51 wickets in Division One at the miserly average of 16.72.

Hampshire needed to reassert themselves and the fifth-wicket pair of Lehmann and Ben Mayes obliged. They shared 88 in a little over 15 overs before Dom Bess bowled Mayes with a good delivery that did him through the gate as he eyed up mid-wicket.

Back the pendulum swung towards Yorkshire as Ben Coad deservedly got his name in the wickets column. Liam Dawson, the scourge of Yorkshire at Scarborough last year, was turned around by a fine ball from Coad that brushed the outside edge.

Hill returned to strike twice in four balls, Codi Yusuf and Kyle Abbott becoming his third and fourth lbw victims as Hampshire went into tea at 237-8.

After Coad bowling a driving Eddie Jack it was over to Hill to complete his five-wicket haul, followed by a suitably warm ovation from the crowd.

In reply, Yorkshire lost Bean shouldering arms to Abbott and then Baker made his decisive intervention, trapping Sam Whiteman lbw, inducing nightwatchman Coad to play on and yorking James Wharton.

How Yorkshire could do with someone to play a Darren Lehmann-type innings from here.