Dom Bess
“It’s a good wicket. We didn’t really know what to expect turning up yesterday. There’s a lot of live grass on it, and we thought it would do more than it has.
“Saying that, as a group, I think we bowled well. Patto bowled well, Tommo looked threatening and Hill and Rev coming in and doing a job when they needed to.
“We created many opportunities, which is a real positive. It’s just taking hold of those.
“We will obviously rebuild tomorrow with Rooty coming out at five. We then have Mala at six and Brooky at seven. We will try and take it really deep with our long batting line-up.
“We have to bat long and bat big.”
6.02pm – Close WICKET Karunaratne is caught behind off final over’s first ball. Cook strikes. The Sri Lanka captain falls for 36. It’s 86-3 after 36.
5.32pm WICKET Hill caught behind by Rossington off Snater, 26. Yorkshire 76-2 in the 29th. Revis in as nightwatchman to join Karunaratne on 32.
5.19pm Yorkshire can, so far, be very pleased with their day’s work. In reply to Essex’s 403 all out, they are 72-1 after 25 of 35 overs today. Karunaratne has 32 and Hill 24. They have shared 50 unbroken for the second wicket. Long way to go, but life in this game yet.
4.27pm WICKET Lyth trapped lbw shuffling across his stumps against Sam Cook, 10. Yorkshire are 22-1 in the 11th. Hill comes in to join Karunaratne, who has 8. 24.3 overs remain in the day.
3.58pm Yorkshire have moved to 15-0 in the fourth over of their reply to 403. As I type, Lyth has just caressed a drive against Snater wide of mid-off. Lovely shot.
Tea Report Yorkshire have wrapped up the Essex first innings for 403 by taking six wickets during the afternoon session of day two at Chelmsford.
Dom Bess and Jordan Thompson claimed two wickets apiece, added to one each for Steve Patterson and Matthew Revis.
Essex’s Paul Walter was the first of them for 141, caught backward point after skewing a drive at the off-spin of Bess four balls into the afternoon.
It was the first of two wickets in as many balls in the opening over of the session as Adam Rossington was bowled for a golden duck to leave the score at 321-6 in the 130th over.
Patterson had Feroze Khushi caught behind before Thompson – like Bess had done – struck twice in an over by bowling Matt Critchley and getting Shane Snater caught at second slip.
That left the score at 345-9 after 147 overs before South African off-spinner Simon Harmer crashed three leg-side sixes in a 54 which repaired some of the damage done to the hosts.
He shared 58 for the 10th wicket with his fellow overseas player, the Australian seamer Mark Steketee, before falling caught behind off a top edge against Revis in the 157th over.
Thompson and Bess finished with three wickets each and Patterson two.
The latter two were particularly miserly, going at less than two runs per over across their 75 overs combined.
Thirty five overs remain in the day.
3.28pm – Tea WICKET Harmer caught behind off a top edge at Revis, 54. Essex are 403 all out, and that will be tea. Six wickets in the afternoon for Yorkshire.
3.17pm Late damage is frustrating Yorkshire as Harmer reaches a 74-ball fifty with his third six. Essex have moved from 345-9 to 397-9.
3.05pm Essex have moved to 372-9. Harmer has 32 and Steketee 2. Eight overs to tea.
2.53pm WICKETS Thompson has taken two quick ones, Critchley bowled and Snater caught at second slip by Lyth. Essex are 346-9 in the 148th over.
2.01pm WICKET Khushi edges Patterson behind for 1. Essex are 322-7 in the 135th. In five and a bit overs since lunch, Yorkshire have taken three wickets for one run. Brilliant.
1.43pm WICKETS Two in two balls in the opening over of the afternoon. Bess gets Walter caught at backward point by Revis off a skewed drive for 141 before Rossington is bowled for a golden duck. It’s 321-6.
Lunch Report Essex are eking out a commanding first-innings total at Chelmsford, with Paul Walter recording a maiden century on day two against Yorkshire.
George Hill claimed the only wicket of the second morning for Yorkshire, nightwatchman Sam Cook bowled for 28 with one that angled back into him.
Essex started the second day of this LV= Insurance County Championship match on 234-3 and have reached lunch 321-4 from 129 overs.
Walter was 11 short of his first first-class and county century overnight and nervily edged his way through the nineties before reaching three figures off 263 balls. He has since moved to 141 not out.
After Hill struck to leave Essex at 303-4 in the 121st over, Jordan Thompson offered Walter a life at cover on 127 off the bowling of Dom Bess.
Matt Critchley also had a life on two, though had Adam Lyth held on a slip off Bess, it would have been a stunning one-handed catch after a flashed drive deflected off wicketkeeper Harry Duke’s thigh.
Essex finished with two batting bonus points to Yorkshire’s one bowling point.
The hosts have scored 87 in 33 overs this morning. Critchley will begin the afternoon on four.
1pm – Lunch Essex have reached 321-4 from 129 overs. Walter 141 and Critchley 4. George Hill with the morning wicket for Yorkshire on day two.
12.45pm Essex 312-4 with Walter 132 and Critchley on 4.
12.39pm Ah, Thompson has just handed Walter a life on 127 at cover off the bowling of Bess. 306-4.
12.37pm Durham’s Ben Stokes has just hit five sixes off the first five balls of an over and then a four against the left-arm spin of Josh Baker at Worcester. The new England Test captain has reached 100 off 64 balls. Wow. Durham are 498-4 in that game.
12.32pm WICKET Sam Cook has been bowled by George Hill for 28 with one that’s angled back into him. Essex are 303-4 in the 121st over.
12.26pm Rare sign of aggression with the bat so far in this game as Walter slog sweeps Bess for six over mid-wicket fence, into the hospitality boxes. Essex have moved to 298-3 and Walter has 122.
12pm The 110 overs for bonus points are complete, with Essex finishing with two batting points and Yorkshire one for bowling. Essex are 275-3 in the 113th over, bowled by Revis.
11.48pm Walter reaches his maiden career century off 263 balls with 12 fours. Well played. Essex 263-3 in the 109th.
11.39am Essex have moved to 258-3 after 107 overs. Walter has 98 and is full of nerves as he approaches a maiden career hundred. Plenty of oohs and aahs from the Yorkshire bowlers so far. But no breakthrough, unfortunately.
11.22am Essex have moved to 250-3. Walter has 97 and Cook 7. Decent amount of playing and missing this morning already.
11am Thompson is opening the bowling this morning. Essex 234-3 with Walter on 89 and nightwatchman Sam Cook on nought.
10.33am Let’s have a look around the grounds before we get going this morning.
Division One
Hampshire 310-8 v Gloucestershire, Ageas Bowl
Lancashire v Warwickshire 273-7, Old Trafford
Surrey 261-6 v Northamptonshire, Oval
Division Two
Glamorgan v Leicestershire 285-8, Sophia Gardens
Sussex 354-6 v Middlesex, Hove
Worcestershire v Durham 339-3, New Road
10.30am You can recap yesterday’s action via our match report and reaction piece from Steve Patterson.
Good morning from a warm and sunny Chelmsford.
It is a glorious morning in the South East, and we’re all set for a start on time at 11am.
Essex will resume on 234-3 in their first innings.
Yorkshire were thwarted by this man yesterday.
Former England captain Sir Alastair Cook posted the 71st first-class century of his career, a determined 107 to give Essex the upper hand having been inserted.
