Talk about a shock to the system! Yorkshire have had a nightmare morning with the bat to open up the new season against the Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities side at Headingley by losing seven wickets.

Former White Rose fast bowler James Lee, released midway through 2011, has been the architect of the county side’s downfall with five wickets to help reduce the score to 65-7 before lunch after the students had won the toss and elected to bowl in helpful conditions - certainly not a batsman’s graveyard, however.

Gary Ballance top-scored for Yorkshire with 45 not out and resumed after lunch with Ryan Sidebottom for company and the score at 102-7 from 32 overs.

It could have been far worse too because Yorkshire were in tatters at 10-4 inside five overs before Ballance and Jonny Bairstow (20) shared a partnership of 49 for the fifth wicket.

After Ivan Thomas had Adam Lyth caught at mid-wicket in the second over, Lee had Alex Lees caught at second slip for a golden duck and Andrew Gale trapped lbw for a duck in the space of five balls in the third.

Joe Sayers was next to go, caught in the gully off Lee, before a near 17-over period of calm while Ballance and Bairstow looked comfortable.

But Bairstow’s departure, caught behind off captain Luis Reece’s left-arm medium pace, sparked another cluster of wickets. Azeem Rafiq was caught at point off Lee in the 23rd over before debutant Liam Plunkett was trapped lbw for a duck two balls later.