Yorkshire had Essex reeling on 76 for four on the first day of the Championship match at Headingley yesterday but it all turned sour as Andy Flower and Ronnie Irani both smacked centuries in a record fifth-wicket stand at the ground.

They put on 213 together in 63 overs, beating the previous best fifth-wicket partnership at Headingley of an unbeaten 196 between Yorkshire's Roy Kilner and George Hirst against Gloucestershire in 1919.

The stand was also a record for Essex's fifth wicket against Yorkshire, overtaking the unbroken 171 between Keith Fletcher and Mike McEvoy at Middlesbrough in 1977.

Both batsmen survived chances in their 20s, Flower brushing Matthew Wood's fingers as he edged between first and second slip and Irani being put down behind the wicket, but for the rest of the time they were in control, Irani driving powerfully and Flower cutting strongly.

Irani scored the more quickly of the two and his century came up off 158 balls with 16 boundaries but on 103 he edged a drive at Tim Bresnan to Phil Jaques, who took a good fast catch at first slip.

Flower stood on 99 when he lost his captain but not long afterwards he cut Bresnan for four to reach three figures from 253 deliveries with 16 boundaries.

Darren Gough, playing in a Championship match at Headingley for the first time since leaving Yorkshire, came in as nightwatchman and was there at the close when Essex were 308 for five with Flower on 105.

Irani must, for a while, have doubted the wisdom of batting first after winning the toss as Deon Kruis and Chris Silverwood both captured a wicket in a fine spell together with the new ball.

In only his second over, Kruis trapped Will Jefferson lbw with one which nipped back and Silverwood gained a similar verdict against Grant Flower, who was undone by an inswinger, to leave Essex on 12 for two.

Silverwood proceeded to bowl one of the tightest opening spells of his career, with five of his first six overs maidens. When he was rested he had figures of 9-6-6-1.

Opener Alastair Cook scored most of the runs that were on offer but Ravinder Bopara found the going so difficult that only a single came off the first 37 balls he faced, yet it was Cook who was out first as he, too, fell lbw to Kruis for 42.

It was certainly Yorkshire's morning and in the over before the interval Bopara edged Anthony McGrath to Matthew Wood at second slip to depart for 18 off 82 deliveries.

The remainder of the day turned into a hard grind for Yorkshire as Andy Flower and Irani atoned for Essex's earlier lapses and by the end of it they had put their side into a strong position.

Yorkshire's great left-arm spinner, Hedley Verity, was born on May 18, 1905, and to mark the centenary of his birth the game was designated the Hedley Verity-Green Howards Memorial Match.

Verity, a captain in the Green Howards, died while leading his company into battle in Sicily in 1943.

His son, Douglas, unveiled a plaque in memory of his father in the Headingley long room during the morning session and the ceremony was attended by several former Yorkshire players including Bob Appleyard, Fred Trueman, Brian Close, Ray Illingworth, Don Wilson, Geoff Cope, Ken Taylor, Bob Platt and Bryan Stott.

* Ed Joyce made a battling 82 but a five-wicket haul from James Kirtley allowed Sussex to share the honours with Middlesex on day one in Hove.

With his battling innings, Joyce took his season tally to 687 runs from eight innings in Frizzell County Championship Division One.

Former England paceman Kirtley was even more impressive though, and his efforts restricted Middlesex to 327 for eight at the close.