Aaron Finch says struggling to balance attack and defence could be a reason why his first-class record is so thin.

Yorkshire’s new overseas signing, a replacement for Kane Williamson in the LV= County Championship, will make his four-day bow against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road tomorrow.

The Australian has become a limited overs superstar on the back of some fearsome strokeplay, with his first appearance in a White Rose shirt coming in tonight’s NatWest T20 Blast clash with Derbyshire at Headingley.

But Finch, 27, has so far failed to replicate such form in the longer format.

He has not found a settled place in the batting order for Victoria, who have even dropped him from their team in the past. He only averages 27.47 in first-class cricket.

Finch will bat in the middle order against a North-ampton side Yorkshire have already beaten by an innings this season.

When asked for his opinion on why he has struggled against the red ball, he said: “It’s a little bit of technique.

“At times I’ve been caught between trying to play my natural game as an attacking player, whether it’s at the top of the order or at number five, or going the other way and being ultra-defensive and trying to grind out an innings.

“That’s one thing I’ve wrestled with for quite a while, but I feel as though my game has changed for the better in that format, and I feel as though I’m in a position where I can trust my game and back the plans I have to be successful.

“There were small technique changes that I think I had to make that I’ve been working on. It’s just a case of trying to nail them down and having the confidence to back them when you get out into the middle.

“It’s one thing doing it at training and drilling it but, as soon as you’re under pressure, you fall back into old habits.

“It’s also trying to find time where you’ve got long enough to drill that and become comfortable with it.

“When you play so much cricket, you fall into a pattern where you just turn up and play, travel and play, so there’s not much time to iron out those wrinkles you have in your game.”

Tim Bresnan will be unavailable tonight having been called back into England’s one-day squad.

* Andrew Flintoff could make his comeback to professional cricket after five years away against York-shire at Emirates Old Trafford next Friday.

The two-time Ashes winner, 36, is on course to play in the NatWest T20 Blast for Lancashire.

His comeback, strongly mooted during the last month, was put on hold due to a badly-sprained left ankle, although that has now healed. Reports across the Pennines suggest the plan is for him to play second XI cricket next week before returning to the first-team, possibly against the Vikings.