Yorkshire CCC v Derbyshire, day one - Century on Headingley debut for Dawid Malan

Malan’s 73 against Durham at Chester-le-Street helped Yorkshire to a six-wicket victory that kick-started their bid to win the Bob Willis Trophy.

It was a performance brimming with class and composure – one that highlighted why Yorkshire signed him from Middlesex.

After a couple of low scores last week against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, where Yorkshire won their second game in the competition by 90 runs, Malan gave further evidence of his talent with a hundred on his home first-class debut against Derbyshire at Headingley.

As Yorkshire scored 280-4 on an opening day played beneath uniformly grey skies, with the floodlights on throughout as though it was a winter’s Saturday at the football rather than a summer’s Saturday at the cricket, Malan made it look ridiculously easy, ending the day on 145 from 180 balls with 21 fours and a six.

Many of the boundaries were wonderfully fluent drives through the covers or back down the ground, the right front elbow high, the pose held for the benefit of the few assembled photographers.

With no spectators permitted to attend, the ball made a sweet reverberating sound as it came off the middle of Malan’s bat, echoing around deserted stands that would ordinarily have been ringing with applause.

When Gary Ballance has recovered from a virus which Yorkshire have said is not coronavirus, the club will have two quality left-handers to come in after the opening pair of Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore; without Ballance, the presence of Malan makes it feel as if Ballance is not really away.

Malan’s innings was as aesthetically pleasing and as wonderfully free-flowing as one could wish to see after Derbyshire inserted in helpful conditions.

The visitors struck early when Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught at third slip trying to withdraw his bat, but Adam Lyth pulled successive sixes in the game’s third over off Michael Cohen, whose opening burst was wild.

Jonny Bairstow – dropped on nought at mid-off by captain Billy Godleman off Dustin Melton – made 22 before pushing a catch behind off Anuj Dal.

Cohen came back well after lunch to have Lyth caught behind and Harry Brook taken at first slip in the space of four balls, but Malan and Jonny Tattersall (64no) turned a potentially precarious 106-4 into a strong position, adding an unbroken 174 before bad light ended play with 12 overs left.

Tattersall worked the ball around intelligently, scampering quick singles and serving as the perfect foil .

But the day belonged to the marvellous Malan.