George Hill fifty pushes Yorkshire forward on rain-hit day

George Hill posts a fifty Allan McKenzie / © SWPix / YorkshireCCC

Leicestershire 12 for 0 trail Yorkshire 263 (Wharton 70, Hill 62, Hull 3-57) by 251 runs

George Hill posted an increasingly-aggressive 62 and Josh Hull completed a three-wicket haul as Yorkshire and Leicestershire played out a heavily weather-interrupted day of Rothesay County Championship cricket at Scarborough.

Yorkshire advanced their first innings from 144 for 5 to 263 all out at tea on day two, with Leicestershire only able to respond with 12 without loss inside four overs. There was no play behind 4.35pm due to rain and, in all, only 24.5 overs were bowled.

The start of play was delayed until 2.10pm because of a wet outfield following overnight rain.

When play did get underway, with 64.1 overs remaining, Leicestershire made the ideal start through their captain Ian Holland, who had James Wharton caught behind pushing forwards for 70.

Wharton failed to add to his overnight score, and Holland had struck with the second legitimate ball of the day - he had started with a no ball - to leave the score at 146 for 6.

Jonny Tattersall, meanwhile, took his fifth catch and became the first wicketkeeper to claim five dismissals in an innings both for and against Yorkshire. He did it wearing the White Rose here against Surrey in 2022.

Hill and Dom Bess (21) shared 56 for the seventh wicket before the latter holed out against Hull, who then removed Ben Coad.

Running out of partners, Hill became more expansive en-route to a 64-ball half-century, though he did watch from the other end as Ben Cliff struck three successive boundaries off Rehan Ahmed before being bowled for 22 off the next.

At 263 for 9 in the 76th over, Hill and Cliff had shared 53 in 29 balls.

Leicestershire's left-arm quick Hull, who finished with 3 for 57 from 12 overs, has got to the level Yorkshire allrounder Hill is aiming for. He played one Test for England, against Sri Lanka at The Kia Oval, in September 2024.

Hill has represented the England Lions in the last year or so and is cementing his standing as one of the county game's brightest talents at the age of 25. His performances have come more with the ball than the bat, though this was his fourth fifty of the season.

The performances of Hull and Hill ensured supporters got to see a high-quality, albeit shortened, day of Championship cricket.

Whether there is enough time over the next two days for either side to force a positive result remains to be seen, but both counties will feel that chance remains for them, especially with obvious assistance on offer for the bowlers.

Play was abandoned by umpires Ian Blackwell and Graham Lloyd shortly after 5.30pm.