Yorkshire CCC's Finlay Bean and Adam Lyth plan to build on their promising opening season together

Eleven of those 20 stands were over 50 and only two were less than 21.

At one stage, they amassed seven consecutive partnerships of 50-plus and eight in nine innings; not a bad record, in other words.

The only disappointment was that Bean, the younger of the duo at 21, did not reach the 1,000-run milestone that Lyth, 36, achieved for the fourth time in his career.

Whereas the veteran finished 19 runs over that figure, the junior member finished 17 short of it, still a terrific effort in his first full season.

As Ottis Gibson, the Yorkshire head coach, put it moments after the final ball of the season had been bowled: “Beany’s sat there in the dressing room disappointed because he’s just fallen short of 1,000 runs, but I said to him, ‘At the start of the season, if I said to you you would score 900 runs in the County Championship, what would you have said?’, so you have to look at it on the positive side of things.

“He’s had a fantastic season, he’s made three hundreds, he’s looked very accomplished at the crease for somebody who’s only played a handful of games, and the partnership with him and Adam Lyth was fantastic.”

For Bean, the experience of batting with Lyth has been a privilege.

His fellow left-hander is one of the best openers in the club’s history and a great man from whom to soak up knowledge.

“Lythy’s ticked it all off,” said Bean. “He’s opened the batting for the club for many years, he’s opened the batting for England, he’s done it all.

“To have him to learn off has been brilliant. I couldn’t wish for a better man to have at the other end.

“It’s just great to bat with him. He will come down from the other end sometimes if he sees me trying to crack on and he will say, ‘Calm it down’. I try to do the same with him. We’ve done well.”

The admiration is mutual.

Lyth, who struck up a highly productive opening partnership in the mid-2010s with Alex Lees, who is now at Durham, believes the young man has tremendous potential and has fed off his energy and increasing expertise.

Bean drifted out of the sport before a record second team score of 441 against Notts persuaded Yorkshire to offer a contract.

“I feel for Beany because he deserved those extra 17 runs for the 1,000,” reflected Lyth.

“He’s played so well this year, and I know he’s disappointed, but when he looks back on it he has cemented his place in this team and should be very proud of the way he’s played.

“We’ve struck up a nice little partnership at the top of the order.

“Hopefully, this is something we can build on for years to come.”

Lyth went on: “I’ve had a few partners over the years, but the work Beany did over the winter on a few technical things and what he’s figured out, I think it’s testament to him that he’s cemented his place now for a long time.

“We should have had maybe five, six or seven hundred opening partnerships if it wasn’t for me getting out.

“Especially at Scarborough, we should have got a load more runs there and a few other times this season.

“I’ve been so pleased with and so proud of what Beany’s achieved this year. He should be so proud, too.

“If he keeps doing that, you never know where the ceiling is for this boy.”

Pondering Bean’s strengths, Lyth – one of the best exponents of the cover drive in cricket – said: “I think one of his main strengths is application, concentration.

“He’s a fit young man, so his concentration levels have always been high.

“He’s very good square of the wicket and off his pads. He’s a good cutter of the ball.

“We’re completely different players, but we complement each other.

“I’m more of a driver of the ball; he’s more of a cutter and clipper through the leg-side.”

Bean’s narrow failure to reach 1,000 should only be a statistical anomaly.

Next year, the Harrogate-born player will aim to breast that tape as Yorkshire bid to return to the First Division.

“I’ve not ticked it off yet, 1,000 runs, so that’s the plan for next year,” said Bean.

“I want to come again and try and get it.

"That’s the main aim for next year, personally.

“But it’s a good start which I can build on.”