No Imam, no problem for Yorkshire CCC as they lay solid platform against the champions

The weather was somewhat warmer for the first glimpse in a Yorkshire kit of his nephew, Imam, at Scarborough on Tuesday, where the hosts reached 282-4 after winning the toss, a good performance and platform against the champions.

But although Imam was able to take part in the pre-play warm-ups, visa problems meant that he was unable to feature in the match itself – the second time this season that Yorkshire have been so affected after Abdullah Shafique, another Pakistan batsman, was unable to play against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge last month.

An official update from the club read: “Overseas signing Imam-ul-Haq hasn’t been selected for this fixture following a late issue with his visa. The club are working with Imam, his agent and the authorities to get this resolved.”

While that carry-on continues behind the scenes (what manner of red tape can prevent someone from playing in a game when he is actually in the town?), Yorkshire set about Surrey, the First Division leaders.

They did so with aplomb after Jonny Bairstow won the toss and chose to take first use of a pitch that proved to be rather spongy in bounce, the soft Kookaburra ball not helping the bowlers, who were not at their collective best beneath overcast skies.

In Imam’s absence (albeit he cheerfully obliged autograph hunters and did some laps of the outfield to top up his fitness during the lunch break – hard to imagine ‘Inzy’ doing the latter), Will Luxton returned to the team having been withdrawn from the PCC Select XI squad, who are taking on Pakistan A in Beckenham.

Luxton it was who had a major say on events here, the 22-year-old striking a career-best 71 on his tenth Championship appearance and third of the season, made from 118 balls with nine fours and a whipped six off Jamie Overton over square-leg on to the Popular Bank.

Luxton shared in a third-wicket stand of 149 inside 45 overs with James Wharton, who top-scored with 78 from 166 balls with five fours and a straight six off the bowling of Will Jacks that sailed into the Trafalgar Square end.

It was Wharton’s highest innings of the Championship campaign, one in which this fine player has managed six scores between 58 and 78 but not, to his frustration, a hundred as of yet.

Wharton and Luxton’s partnership was key, however, in the context of this day after Yorkshire lost both opening batsmen in the space of three balls.

Although Adam Lyth and Fin Bean had shared in another century stand by then, the left-handers driving handsomely on both sides of the wicket, the window of opportunity caused by their departures felt real enough and, on another day, Yorkshire could have folded for the total that they already have on the board.

Lyth was the first to go, pushing to Overton at first slip off Dan Worrall, who then had Bean caught by Jordan Clark at mid-wicket off a mistimed pull to a delivery that he seemed unsure whether to play or leave.

By the time he tried to abort the stroke, it was too late, Bean departing for 57 from 106 balls with 11 fours.

Lyth had contributed 47 from 88 deliveries with eight boundaries.

Bean had one life – Dom Sibley putting down a regulation opportunity at third slip off Matthew Fisher in the sixth over when the batsman had three, the ball flying in and out again at chest height.

The ever-popular Fisher plugged away manfully from the Peasholm Park end on his return to Scarborough and could consider himself unlucky not to have got his name in the wickets column, something which he did here for Yorkshire more often than not.

Surrey were in some discomfort when the score had reached 257-2 three overs before the second new ball, but then Luxton was out – bowled around his legs as he tried to sweep Jacks.

Wharton then perished in the third over with that second new ball, caught behind by wicketkeeper Josh Blake to one from Worrall that nibbled just enough.

By now, Bairstow had arrived to inject further impetus, the captain striking a quartet of offside boundaries to lift Yorkshire up towards a second batting point.

Ten overs remained in the day when, in increasingly gloomy conditions – with the orange numbers on the scoreboard shining like streetlights in Scarborough town centre – the umpires took the players from the field, closely followed by heavy rain which made the walk back to the local guesthouses particularly unpleasant for a crowd of 2,163.