New Delhi, Nov 3 — Northamptonshire County Cricket Club on Tuesday announced the signing of top-order batter Finlay Bean from Yorkshire, as he has been roped in on a three-year deal.
Bean, who can also keep wickets, had two years left in his contract with Yorkshire, which he signed earlier this year in March. However, he had lost out on a place in the County Championship XI during the first phase of the matches after he hit a century and averaged 25.22. '
Bean will now arrive at Cinch County Ground, at least till the end of 2029, and is "delighted" to join Northamptonshire. "I'm extremely delighted to be joining Northamptonshire," Bean said in a statement released by Northants. "I can’t wait to get started, and I’m looking forward to showing the fans what I can do.
"I can see through the Blast success and County Championship performances that it's a great group to be part of, and hopefully we can continue that next season.
"It’s an exciting time for me; Working under Darren and the rest of the coaching staff, I’m looking forward to developing my game and making a big contribution," he added.
Bean made his Yorkshire debut in August 2022 during the One Day Cup against Kent. He made his First-Class debut next month against Lancashire in the County Championship Division One. The top-order batter played 78 matches across the two formats for Northants and made over 3000 runs for them.
He averages 33.53 in FC cricket with 2649 runs, but his average dips to 21.54 in 30 List A matches, where he has made 517 runs. Speaking on his departure, Yorkshire's general manager of cricket, Gavin Hamilton, stated that he would have liked the batter to complete his tenure but respected his ambition.
"We've had some really honest conversations with Fin over the last year or so, and during that time he has consistently pushed for regular cricket, as he should," Hamilton said. "Fin has been a brilliant player for Yorkshire and has been a great person to have in the changing room too. We'd have been delighted to see him fulfil the remainder of his contract, but we understand and respect his ambition.
"It's never easy to see players leave, particularly those who are products of our academy, but we're proud of the part Yorkshire has played in his development and wish him every success for the future," he added.
Meanwhile, Northants head coach Darren Lehmann welcomed Bean, stating that he was on the club's radar for some time now. "It’s great to have Finlay join us at Northamptonshire, and I can’t wait to see what he can do for us in 2027," Lehmann said.
"He's been on our radar for a while, so I'm really pleased to secure him on a long-term deal where he’ll hopefully develop and become a brilliant asset to the team," he added.