Haris Rauf strikes early blows for Yorkshire before Kent stage fightback

Haris Rauf was appropriately front and centre at the outset of a new era for Yorkshire at Headingley before Daniel Bell-Drummond’s century wrestled back the initiative for Kent.

Rauf took three wickets in the space of nine balls, including out-of-form England opener Zak Crawley, to light up a grey morning in Yorkshire’s first home game since the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal erupted.

But the hosts were unable to capitalise on the opening day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match as Bell-Drummond orchestrated Kent’s recovery from 20 for three to close on 270 for six.

Bell-Drummond, dropped on 50, was dismissive of anything short and wide and equally proficient with deliveries on his pads in his 109, just a week after making 149 against Hampshire’s vaunted attack.

Kent’s number three batter shared a boundary-laden 133-run stand alongside Jordan Cox, who contributed 12 fours in his 68 to the union as Yorkshire’s bowlers offered up an abundance of scoring chances.

Rauf’s express pace was used against him as he lost his radar after his initial eye-catching burst, but the Pakistan limited-overs international was still the pick of the attack with figures of 11-1-52-3.

Rauf was the poster boy signing as Yorkshire teamed with Pakistan Super League side Lahore Qalandars, part of the county’s attempt to establish a cultural shift after a chastening past few months.

Structural reforms have been introduced by new chair Lord Patel and, while they were not met with unanimous approval, there was no hint of lingering discontent among members on Thursday morning.

Around a couple of thousand were in attendance as Yorkshire took to the field on home soil since their winter of discontent, but there was no sign of any protest as a