Lyth impresses but Essex retain edge

Yorkshire 227 for 5 v Essex 399
Scorecard

Adam Lyth continued his impressive form as Yorkshire replied to an Essex total of 399 in their County Championship Division One clash at Chelmsford. The 22-year-old left-hander, the first player to reach 1,000 runs this season, provided further evidence of his potential with a well-constructed 75.

It was the 11th time this summer he had passed 50 in the Championship, three of which he has converted into 100s. Lyth looked on course for a fourth when he was bowled around his legs by paceman Chris White after an innings which contained 11 boundaries.

Yorkshire, the Championship leaders, reached the close on 227 for 5, which represented something of a disappointment after Lyth and Jacques Rudolph had launched the innings with a partnership of 81.

That ended when Andy Carter, a fast bowler on loan from Nottinghamshire and making his Championship debut for Essex, made a delivery climb on the opener to have Rudolph caught behind for 32. But it was left-arm spinner Tim Phillips who was the pick of the Essex bowlers.

Varying his pace and flight well he has so far collected 2 for 72 from 29 overs. He had Anthony McGrath caught at short leg by Jaik Mickleburgh and then bowled Jonathan Bairstow as he pushed forward. The other Yorkshire wicket to fall was that of Andrew Gale who was within three of his half-century when he was caught behind cutting at offspinner Tom Westley.

Earlier, Essex added a further 46 from 21 overs after they had resumed at an overnight 353 for 6. Three of the remaining wickets to fall were picked up by legspinner Adil Rashid as he finished with 5 for 87.

Among them was Grant Flower who faced a further 43 deliveries in the morning without adding to his overnight score of 5, which came from only two scoring strokes in an innings of 78 balls. Flower was eventually put out of his misery when he drove into the hands of McGrath at mid-off.

Last man Carter succeeded in dispatching Rashid for the only six of the innings but in trying to repeat the stroke was caught at deep mid-off in the same over.