A sensational all-round performance by Darren Lehmann left Yorkshire on the brink of an amazing victory at Chelmsford yesterday, when they claimed the extra half hour and had Essex staggering to 108 for eight by the close as they chased a 254 target.

Lehmann, who re-joined Yorkshire at the beginning of the week after Australia's tour of Zimbabwe, scored 86 out of a second innings total of 249 then grabbed four wickets for 35 runs.

Yorkshire's dominance could not have been envisaged when Essex began their innings after tea following a seven for 65 haul by their Pakistan leg-spinner, Danish Kaneria.

His match return of 13 for 186 was the best against Yorkshire in a Championship match since Franklyn Stephenson captured 13 for 75 for Nottinghamshire at Headingley 15 years ago.

They were also the best match figures for Essex since Mark Ilott's 14 for 105 against Northamptonshire at Luton in 1995 and the best by a leg-spinner since Robin Hobbs claimed 13 for 164 at Swansea in 1966.

But Yorkshire were straight at Essex's throats with Chris Silverwood firing out openers Will Jefferson and Alastair Cook before Lehmann and off-spinner Richard Dawson operated in tandem.

Andy Flower and Aftab Habib played carefully until Lehmann turned one sharply in the rough to have Habib taken at slip and a similar ball got rid of Ronnie Irani.

James Foster fell lbw to Dawson, nightwatchman Andrew Clarke was trapped by Lehmann and the extra half-hour was claimed at 84 for six.

Lehmann had Flower caught off bat and pad sweeping and the same fielder, Michael Lumb, pounced to account for James Middlebrook, but Yorkshire could not quite finish things off, Darren Gough striking a defiant note by clouting Dawson over mid-wicket for six.

Kaneria started the day with a wicket in his first over when he bowled nightwatchman Steven Kirby round his legs.

But it was not until into the afternoon that he began his rout by grabbing the last six Yorkshire wickets in 59 balls at a cost of 15 runs.

The first of these dismissals was Lehmann, who fell lbw after an unusually watchful innings of 86 from 129 balls with seven fours.

This was Lehmann's third half-century in four innings this season and he is showing just the same consistency as when he was with Yorkshire in 2002, his last 15 innings bringing him a double century, two centuries and nine half-centuries.

After Lehmann had departed, White struggled for eight overs making four before Kaneria had him lbw offering no stroke.

The last genuine batsman was back in the pavilion when Lumb drilled back a low return catch in the same over that he survived a confident appeal for a catch at first slip.

As in the first innings, Yorkshire's demise was disappointing after good batting earlier on, Matthew Wood and Lehmann adding 135 in 38 overs for the fourth wicket.

Wood found his best form of the season and after an express start to his innings the previous evening he slowed down, never allowing his concentration to lapse until he had reached 81.

He had hit a dozen boundaries when he played a poor stroke outside off stump at Clarke and was caught behind.