Live: Rothesay County Championship – Essex v Yorkshire Men, Day 1

We have just updated the following paragraph in our match report.

“The White Rose took to the field without either of their overseas players, Ben Sears and Jordan Buckingham. The former has been managing a slight ankle problem but will be ready to face Surrey at the Kia Oval next week. Buckingham, meanwhile, has been left out, with Yorkshire opting to go down the two-spinner route.”

Another fascinating day of Championship cricket sees Essex lose three wickets in reply to our 216 all out. Fifties for Adam Lyth and James Wharton added to two wickets for George Hill and one for Ben Coad.

Jamie Porter bowled George Hill, 0.

Nightwatchman Porter is bowled by one which keeps low.

Dean Elgar caught Adam Lyth bowled George Hill, 9.

The former South African captain is caught at second slip.

Essex have a nightwatchman in now in the form of Jamie Porter. Just under six overs remain in the day.

Ben Allison caught behind Jonny Bairstow bowled Ben Coad, 4.

Beauty of a delivery.

Jack White caught Dean Elgar bowled Matt Critchley, 0.

White is caught at slip by Essex’s opening batter, who rushes off the field to pad up with 16 overs remaining in the day.

James Wharton finishes 63 not out, Critchley 4-49.

Dan Moriarty lbw Noah Thain, 24.

Moriarty hits six fours but falls just before the second new ball. Jack White is in now. James Wharton has 56.

James Wharton follows Adam Lyth to a fifty, off 138 balls with 7x4s.

Yorkshire 176-7 after 73 overs.

Hang on a second, it’s 176-8 in the 74th.

Ben Coad has just pulled Matt Critchley to mid-wicket.

Dom Bess lbw Kasun Rajitha, 3.

Bess tries to leave the Sri Lankan seamer alone, and Yorkshire are in trouble now.

Ben Coad in alongside James Wharton, who has 48.

Matthew Revis caught Simon Harmer bowled Matt Critchley, 10.

Oh no. Revis has top-edged a pull at the leg-spinner to point. Dom Bess is in now alongside James Wharton, who has 44.

Away from County Championship action, Leicestershire are in T20 friendly action against Staffordshire at Grace Road, where they are 241-4 in the 16th over.

Rishi Patel has hit 96 of them, including six sixes in an over off the off-spin of Jack Redman.

Essex have struck four times in the afternoon. James Wharton remains on 41, with Matthew Revis on 6.

George Hill caught behind Michael Pepper bowled Jamie Porter, 0.

Caught behind off the inside-edge. Porter is on a hat-trick. Matthew Revis is in now alongside Jamies Wharton, who has 28.

Yorkshire have lost three wickets in nine balls.

Jonny Bairstow lbw Jamie Porter, 2.

Bairstow trapped lbw on the back foot.

Two quick wickets, and the complexion of this game has changed. George Hill in now.

Jonny Tattersall caught Robin Das bowled Matt Critchley, 4.

Tattersall clips the Essex leg-spinner to leg-slip, where Das takes a sharp low catch.

Jonny Bairstow is in now alongside James Wharton, who has 27.

Adam Lyth lbw Kasun Rajitha, 58.

Lyth is trapped in front stuck on the crease.

Jonny Tattersall is in now for Yorkshire alongside James Wharton 15.

Adam Lyth has moved to 58 and James Wharton 14.

We have seen a number of pitches with a bit of spice in them this year. This isn’t one of them.

It may well turn later on, but on early viewing it’s likely that it will only do so slowly.

The seamers are really having to work hard to extract anything from this surface.

Yorkshire are building a useful platform here.

Adam Lyth posts a determined half-century off 122 balls with 9x4s. He has helped Yorkshire reach 99-1 in the 42nd over. Excellent.

It’s been a quiet start to the afternoon session. Adam Lyth has moved to 48. James Wharton has 9.

Yorkshire enjoy an encouraging start to this fixture, losing only Fin Bean for 31.

Adam Lyth has 39 and James Wharton 6.

There has been very little sign of assistance for the bowlers so far, be it for seam or spin.

Yorkshire 73-1 after 28 overs. Adam Lyth 37 and James Wharton 2.

Fin Bean lbw Shane Snater, 31.

Yorkshire’s opener has been trapped lbw by a full ball from the Dutch international new-ball seamer. James Wharton is in now to join Adam Lyth, who has 37.

Adam Lyth has just been dropped on 36 off Simon Harmer, with Essex skipper Tom Westley failing to grasp a tough chance running around from long-off to a wide long-off. Lyth has 37 and Fin Bean 28.

Inside Simon Harmer’s first two overs, Adam Lyth and Fin Bean have both hit him over mid-off’s head for four.

Yorkshire 40-0 after 14 overs, with Bean 22, Lyth 17.

Simon Harmer into the attack to bowl the 12th over of the contest, this one from the Sir Alastair Cook End. Yorkshire are 29-0 having made a very decent start.

Adam Lyth 12, Fin Bean 16.

Picture by John Heald.

Steady start for Yorkshire. No real alarms so far for Adam Lyth and Fin Bean, who have 9 and 1 respectively.

Adam Lyth has driven a three through the covers off Jamie Porter in the opening over. Fin Bean is back up top alongside him having missed out against Warwickshire last week.

Five changes for Yorkshire from that game against the Bears.

In: Bean, Moriarty, Revis, Tattersall, White.

Out: Brook, Buckingham, Root, Sears, Thompson.

Jonny Bairstow calls correctly at the toss.

Yorkshire team: Lyth, Bean, Wharton, Tattersall, Bairstow c&w, Hill, Bess, Revis, Coad, Moriarty, White.

Before we get going here at Chelmsford, here’s the fixture list for the rest of the country.

Division One 

Nottinghamshire v Hampshire, Trent Bridge 

Sussex v Worcestershire, The 1st Central County Ground, Hove

Warwickshire v Surrey, Edgbaston

Division Two 

Kent v Glamorgan, The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence

Northamptonshire v Lancashire, Wantage Road 

Good morning from Chelmsford, where it’s a glorious start to the day – warm and sunny.

This is round number five of this summer’s Rothesay County Championship, with Yorkshire bidding for their second victory having beaten Worcestershire at Headingley last month.

The White Rose currently have a win, a draw and two defeats to their name in Division One. Jonny Bairstow’s side are hoping to bounce back from defeat last time out against Warwickshire at Headingley.

Essex were also beaten last weekend, by Somerset at Taunton. They have won one, lost one and drawn two so far.

These two sides are second and third bottom in the table, with Essex eight points better off on 50.

Ben Sears is not in Yorkshire’s squad this week. We’re not sure on the reason why, but it was noticeable that he felt something and was stretching out during the latter stages of his spell on day three against the Bears at Headingley on Sunday.

Jack White is back in the squad having been rested from that fixture. Matthew Revis and Fin Bean are also back in, with no Harry Brook or Joe Root.

Essex are missing injured Jordan Cox, who has had to pull out of England’s Test squad because of an abdominal injury. New-ball seamer Sam Cook, set for his Test debut against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge on May 22, is also missing.

The players have just started their warm-ups. As per usual, Adam Lyth is first in the nets.