A century by Essex captain, Ronnie Irani, his first in the Championship for two years, helped restrict Yorkshire to a first innings lead of four at Chelmsford. They then sped to 40 for one in 6.1 overs before bad light ended play.

Yorkshire cannot feel over optimistic because Essex have the stronger spinners on a pitch which is assisting the slow bowlers.

Things could have been far worse, however, if Yorkshire's bowlers had not tightened up.

In the morning session they were thumped for 168 in 39 overs while only two wickets went down.

Opener Will Jefferson and Andy Flower punished Steve Kirby and Chris Silverwood so severely when Essex resumed on 41 for four that seven overs brought 40 runs before Richard Dawson came on and lured Jefferson out of his crease with his second ball to be stumped by Simon Guy.

Aftab Habib played beautiful shots from the start and Yorkshire were relieved to see another wicket go down at 113, Dawson turning a ball out of the rough to have Flower taken at slip.

Irani joined Habib as the spree continued and Habib was going so strongly that for a while a century before lunch appeared a possibility but he gradually took his foot off the pedal.

Soon after completing his half century, Irani was dropped by Phil Jaques at slip off Dawson and in the next over Habib spoiled a fine innings by jabbing at a wide one from Silverwood to be caught behind for 80 from 118 balls with nine fours, a five and a six.

Just before tea Irani on-drove Dawson for two consecutive sixes.

Irani moved steadily to 99 and then pushed Kirby to mid-wicket for the single that would have brought him his century.

But Anthony McGrath raced from mid-on to swoop on the ball and throw down the stumps with Graham Napier still short of the crease.

A boundary took Irani into three figures but Kirby had him caught behind for 107 from 211 balls with ten fours and three sixes, the umpires first making sure that the inside edge had reached Guy before touching the ground.

Darren Gough struck one or two lusty blows before being bowled by his old chum, Silverwood, who wrapped up the innings by knocking back Andrew Clarke to end with figures of three for 84.

Kirby had three for 86 but Dawson would feel disappointed at managing only two for 101 on a helpful track.

Despite poor light, Yorkshire began at a cracking pace with Matthew Wood smacking three consecutive boundaries off Graham Napier.

But with 35 on the board by the fifth over, Jaques flashed wildly at Gough and was caught behind.

Essex soon had leg-spinner Danish Kaneria in the attack after his six-wicket haul in the first innings.

But play ended straight after Gough tested nightwatchman Kirby with a bouncer.

The umpires decided it was too dark to continue with 4.5 overs remaining.