Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Scarborough (day one)
Yorkshire 386-6: Luxton 167, Whiteman 55, Bairstow 49*; Barnard 2-47
Warwickshire: Yet to bat
Yorkshire (3 pts), Warwickshire (2 pts)
Will Luxton posted a maiden first-class century as Yorkshire made a dominant start to their County Championship match against Warwickshire at Scarborough.
Luxton, 23, is a North Marine Road regular. This is his 13th career Championship appearance for the White Rose and his fifth at this venue, and his 167 off 261 balls underpinned their 386-6 from 96 overs.
He has now scored two first-team centuries, both against Warwickshire. His other – 105 not out – came in a One-Day Cup win in 2024.
Luxton, who reached his century with a slog-swept six against spin just before tea, shared first-, second-, fourth- and fifth-wicket partnerships of 102, 90, 94 and 74 with Adam Lyth, Sam Whiteman, Matthew Revis and Jonny Bairstow. The latter trio contributed 55, 40 and 49 not out respectively.
These two counties had each won two games from six coming into this fixture and were separated by only 15 points in a tightly bunched Division One table. Warwickshire were third, Yorkshire eighth.
Although on first evidence this looks a decent batting pitch, it is not a featherbed. There is a green tinge to it, for example.
It was no real surprise when Bears’ captain Ed Barnard, who struck twice with his seamers, elected to bowl upon winning the toss. But the visiting attack largely struggled for consistency.
There was some – but not significant – assistance via extra bounce and swing.
Yorkshire reached at 118-1 at lunch, and Luxton was strong through the off-side off both front and back foot en-route to a 78-ball fifty – his first of the season in all formats.
Barnard had Lyth caught behind tentatively pushing forwards for 29 as the score fell to 102-1.
Frustratingly for the Bears, however, Luxton found another left-handed partner in Whiteman, who has missed the past three Championship matches and the first half of the T20 Blast through injury.
Western Australia captain Whiteman scored a century in his last appearance against Sussex at Headingley in late April.
He worked the ball off his pads particularly nicely here before being stumped down leg having advanced at Warwickshire’s spin-bowling debutant Manav Suthar, the Indian Test left-armer to leave Yorkshire on 192-2.
A six-minute rain delay followed immediately.
Barnard then claimed his second wicket when James Wharton was brilliantly caught behind one-handed diving to his right by Alex Davies as the score slipped to 209-3.
Luxton’s previous best score in first-class cricket came on this ground last year in a draw against Surrey, a 71 batting at number four in the order.
He actually reached his century in 182 balls with a slog-swept six over deep mid-wicket off Suthar, the ball disappearing out of the ground and into one of the gardens of the nearby guesthouse.
But the former England Under-19 player had actually moved from 50 to 100 in much more circumspect fashion.
Prior to this innings, Luxton had only scored 130 runs in the Championship and T20 Blast combined in 2026.
Yorkshire reached tea at 238-3, and Luxton and Revis calmly advanced Yorkshire up to 303 before the latter was bowled by a beauty from Bamber with the new ball.
Bairstow then lofted Bamber for six over long-on moments before Luxton’s 150 came up in 282 balls.
Luxton and nightwatch Ben Cliff fell in successive overs late in the day – lbw sweeping at Suthar and caught at first slip off Oliver Hannon-Dalby respectively.
But Yorkshire will still be thrilled with their work.
Report by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay.
