Live: Rothesay County Championship – Essex v Yorkshire Men, Day 3

We are through three days, and Yorkshire are eyeing a second Championship win of the season.

Essex have lost four wickets in the 27 overs before close, three of those going to Jack White.

Matt Critchley will begin day four on 13 and Michael Pepper 7.

Yorkshire are ending the day with spin from both ends as Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty are into the attack.

Essex 49-4 with six overs remaining in the day.

Robin Das caught George Hill bowled Jack White, 0.

Caught at first slip. We still have 10 overs remaining in the day here at Chelmsford.

Picture by John Heald.

Charlie Allison caught Dom Bess bowled Jack White, 20.

Drilled to Dom Bess at mid-off. White has a second wicket.

Tom Westley lbw George Hill, 18.

Hill strikes with his fourth ball. Robin Das in to join Ben Allison, who has 20.

We have 15.2 overs remaining in the day.

Essex have steadied following the early loss of Dean Elgar. Ben Allison has 14 and Tom Westley 4.

Dean Elgar caught Fin Bean bowled Jack White, 4.

A little bit of extra bounce does for the ex-South Africa opener and he kind of fends it third slip, where Bean takes a low catch. Essex’s bid to salvage this game is off to a nightmare start.

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.

Jonny Bairstow caught Simon Harmer bowled Matt Critchley, 79.

Bairstow heaves the leg-spinner to long-on and runs off immediately alongside Matthew Revis, 37 not out.

We have 27 overs left in the day.

Yorkshire are looking to boost their lead of 504, with Jonny Bairstow on 70 and Matthew Revis 31.

It would be no surprise to see a tea-time declaration here.

Jonny Bairstow has just reached his fifty off 60 balls, with five fours and a six. Entertaining knock.

And he then took 20 off the last over before tea, off Shane Snater, including two sixes.

Jonny Bairstow is starting to have a bit of fun out there. He has 32 out of 344-5, a lead of 437. We have seven overs to tea.

The skipper has just reverse pulled Matt Critchley for six.

George Hill caught Dean Elgar bowled Matt Critchley, 4.

Hill is caught at slip off Essex’s leg-spinning all-rounder. Matthew Revis in to join Jonny Bairstow, who has 18. The lead is 420.

Adam Lyth caught Tom Westley bowled Noah Thain, 185.

Lyth can’t clear mid-off, and the Essex captain takes a catch above his head. George Hill is in alongside Jonny Bairstow, who has 7.

Fabulous knock, and Yorkshire lead by 405.

Jordan Thompson is currently on the BBC Radio commentary with Jonathan Doidge.

He is giving his assessment on Yorkshire’s 305-3, a lead of 398.

Adam Lyth 178 and Jonny Bairstow 7.

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.

Jonny Tattersall caught and bowled Noah Thain, 31.

Tattersall top-edges a pull at the seamer, bringing Yorkshire’s captain Jonny Bairstow to the crease alongside Adam Lyth, who has 177.

We’ve just had drinks at Chelmsford, where Adam Lyth 174 and Jonny Tattersall 20 are advancing Yorkshire’s cause.

Quiet start to the afternoon here at Chelmsford. Essex have bowled tidily with the new ball.

Adam Lyth 161 and Jonny Tattersall 14.

Yorkshire are 242-2 in the early stages of the afternoon, leading by 335. Adam Lyth 153 and Jonny Tattersall 5.

The new ball is due after 80 overs of the innings, and Essex have taken it. Shane Snater returns.

Yorkshire lead by 333, with Adam Lyth 151 and Jonny Tattersall 5. James Wharton was the only man to fall in the morning, for 61.

Yorkshire could hardly have asked for a better morning.

Lyth is now the leading run-scorer in Division One with 576.

Adam Lyth reaches his 150 off 237 balls with 20x4s and 1x6s. Yorkshire 238-2, and a lead of 321. Fabulous morning for the visitors.

James Wharton caught Jamie Porter bowled Simon Harmer, 61.

Top-edged sweep to short fine-leg running round towards square-leg. Jonny Tattersall in now alongside Adam Lyth, who has 141. Yorkshire’s lead is 318.

The accelerator has firmly been pressed. We are 224-1 inside the final 20 minutes before lunch. Adam Lyth has 142 and James Wharton 61. The stand is 152. The last 50 runs have come in five overs.

James Wharton has reached his fifty off 104 balls with 2x4s and 2x6s. One of those sixes has just been pulled over mid-wicket off Matt Critchley’s leg-spin.

Yorkshire 191-1, a lead of 284. Adam Lyth has 116.

Adam Lyth posts his second hundred of the summer and the 39th of his first-class career.

He has hit 13 fours. Fabulous knock.

Yorkshire are 161-1, leading by 254. He has shared 89 and counting with second-wicket partner James Wharton, who has 38.

This is Lyth’s first career ton against Essex in Championship cricket. The only counties he’s not scored one against are Derbyshire and Worcestershire.

Picture by John Heald.

Adam Lyth is closing in on another century. He has 95 out of 143-1, a lead of 236. James Wharton has 28.

Yorkshire are 124-1, leading by 217. Adam Lyth 83 and James Wharton 21.

You feel that Yorkshire just need to make sure they get into an unassailable position during this morning session and then really kick on after lunch.

Things are going swimmingly at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.

Can that continue?

Yorkshire are 116-1, leading by 209.

James Wharton has picked up a couple of runs from the first over of the day, bowled by Jamie Porter. He has 18. Adam Lyth on 79 is facing Shane Snater.

Let’s have a look at the state of play elsewhere ahead of Day Two.

Division One 

Nottinghamshire 333 and 171-6 v Hampshire 196, Trent Bridge 

Sussex 284 and 66-3 v Worcestershire 180, The 1st Central County Ground 

Warwickshire 665-5d v Surrey 98-1, Edgbaston 

Division Two 

Kent 156-8 v Glamorgan 549-9d, The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence

Northamptonshire 238 and 140-6 v Lancashire 276, Wantage Road 

Good morning from Chelmsford, where it’s another glorious day. It seems a bit warmer than the previous two as well.

There was a discussion in the press box last night regarding the success of Yorkshire’s day yesterday. Was it their best day of the season so far?

There were three good ones against Worcestershire at Headingley last month, but this one was certainly up there, no question.

Yorkshire bowled Essex out for 123 as they replied to a first-innings 216 and then responded with 114-1, including 79 not out for Adam Lyth.

George Hill earlier claimed 6-51 with the ball, added to three wickets for the irrepressible Ben Coad.

Yorkshire will look to build strongly on a 207-run through the opening couple of sessions of the day and probably see where they are mid-afternoon. Hopefully the opportunity to declare is still open to them.

It was a good day all round for the county yesterday, with Yorkshire’s women beating Staffordshire in the second round of the Vitality County T20 Cup. It was their fourth win on the spin and set up a round three tie with Essex Eagles on Saturday at Headingley.

You can read our match reports from both venues via the embedded X posts either side of this post.