Who, if anyone, will become the first overseas player to score a century on his Championship debut for Yorkshire?

Several have got close to the milestone only to run out of steam - or partners - as they have approached the finishing line.

The latest to fail to go the distance was Phil Jaques, the temporary replacement for Darren Lehmann who is currently on Australia's tour of Zimbabwe and playing far less demanding cricket than if he were still with Yorkshire. Jaques made his Yorkshire debut against Hampshire at Headingley last week and the Sydney-born left-hander was the only one to look comfortable in the second innings as Yorkshire slid to defeat. Unfortunately for Jaques, who came in at 79 for two, he could find no-one to stick with him at the other end and when last man Matthew Hoggard joined him he had to sacrifice patience for power, swatting Dimitri Mascarenhas for six to go to 78 before miscuing the next ball to extra cover.

Fellow Australian, Ian Harvey, had also seen the prospect of three figures melt away on his Championship debut against Essex in the first match of the season. The former Gloucestershire all-rounder made it to 95 with a couple of wickets still to fall but then fell lbw to Graham Napier.

In the closing weeks of the season, Damien Martyn was literally struck a cruel blow on his Championship debut, hooking a ball into his face on 87 against Somerset at Headingley and having to retire hurt. He returned for the final game of the season and hit a thundering 238 off dazed-looking Gloucestershire.

Last summer, New Zealand captain, Stephen Fleming, came even closer to hitting the target, making it to 98 against Somerset at Taunton before he attempted to hit Ian Blackwell out of the ground and only succeeded in giving a boundary catch.

And the year before that, Australian Matthew Elliott performed wonders in his short stay when his achievements included helping Yorkshire to lift the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy with a brilliant 128 not out also against Somerset in the Lord's final. But a century on his first Championship outing narrowly eluded him as he was out for 83 in the Roses match at Old Trafford, pinned lbw by James Anderson who was just starting to make a name for himself.

Lehmann, Yorkshire's most successful long term overseas signing by a mile, could manage just 54 on his debut against Glamorgan, following up with 62 and 43 at Edgbaston before powering his way to a majestic 177 at Taunton.

Michael Bevan, the first of Yorkshire's classy left-handers from abroad, plundered an unbeaten 113 on his first class debut for the county, but that was against the students of Cambridge University.

Within minutes of Hampshire beating Yorkshire on Friday, their success was being celebrated in Zimbabwe by their regular captain, Shane Warne, who is currently out there on Test duty, like Lehmann.

As soon as the triumphant Second Division table-toppers were back in their dressing room they contacted Warne on a mobile and after filling him in with the details they then deafened him with a verse of the Hampshire team song. At least it shows that Warne cares about what is happening in his absence - and it also shows that his team-mates think something about him as well.

England captain Michael Vaughan also cares about his grass roots and he looked very much at home at Headingley the other day as he renewed his acquaintance with the Yorkshire side and modestly accepted the congratulations of the fans for his outstanding leadership success in the Caribbean. When he bumped into lifelong Yorkshire supporter, Arthur Bower, there was a cry of: "I saw you on television last night." It was Vaughan talking and not Bower, who was on for his his collection of Barnsley Football Club memorabilia.