Australian Ian Harvey led Yorkshire's batting feast against Essex at Headingley which virtually guaranteed they will scoop up maximum points from their opening Championship match.

With Michael Lumb and Darren Lehmann also in top form, Yorkshire sprinted to 408 to give them a first innings lead of 146 and a late collapse left Essex still one run in arrears with only four wickets remaining.

Like some of Yorkshire's previous overseas players, Harvey got close to recording a ton on his first Championship appearance but he, too, was jinxed, falling lbw to Graham Napier for 95.

Only last summer, New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming got to 98 on his debut at Taunton before being caught on the boundary edge trying to reach three figures in the grand manner, and late in the season Australian Damien Martyn glided to 87 against Somerset at Headingley and then had to retire hurt after a blow in the face.

Lehmann, 26 overnight, warmed up the crowd with some audacious strokes and he dashed to 49 with four boundaries and a two from five consecutive balls.

A searing cover drive brought a dramatic half-century off 50 balls with ten boundaries but he fell to the next delivery which he forced off the backfoot to Will Jefferson at backward point.

Harvey, who had come in following the fall of Chris Taylor to the 11th ball of the day, continued the spree with punishing shots to all parts but Lumb was never overshadowed and the pair galloped on in entertaining fashion.

So fierce was Harvey's hitting that, after taking two consecutive boundaries off Adrian McCoubrey with rasping strokes through mid-wicket, he smashed back a drive which felled the bowler with a blow behind the right ear.

After lying prone on the field for several minutes, McCoubrey was led off and taken to hospital for a precautionary X-ray which revealed no serious damage but his absence reduced Essex's bowling options.

Lumb sped to his 50 by cracking Graham Napier for three boundaries in an over and when Harvey achieved the same landmark it took him to 6,000 first class runs. Both batsmen were in their 70s when Lumb drove back a low return catch to James Middlebrook and was out for 76 from 131 balls with 11 fours.

Vic Craven and Simon Guy both failed to make an impact but Chris Silverwood hooked Napier for a mighty six into the West Stand before the bowler trapped a bitterly disappointed Harvey lbw, his 95 coming off 118 balls with 13 fours.

Silverwood, last out for 37 from 31 deliveries, was soon back in action with the ball but Essex had no intention of giving in. Jefferson and Alastair Cook looked solid until Jefferson was lbw to Blain at 49 and the seamer later surprised Cook with extra pace to have him caught behind for 52.

But Andy Flower and Aftab Habib defiantly took Essex to within 11 runs of wiping out the arrears before Lehmann dealt a double blow by deceiving Flower into driving high to Craig White at deep mid-on and three balls later producing one with sufficient turn to bowl Mark Pettini.

There was still time for Silverwood to bang another couple of nails into Essex's coffin, James Foster bagging a pair when he was caught behind and Brant fending off a bouncer to Matthew Wood at second slip.

Yorkshire Phoenix open up the newly sponsored totesport League season at Headingley tomorrow against Leicestershire Foxes who also suffered relegation from the First Division last summer.

Although both sides had a season to forget in the National League, Yorkshire still conceded the double to Leicestershire and they are anxious to redress the balance this time in their first ever appearance in the lower flight.

"It is of paramount importance that we make a good start in all competitions and that we go on and do well in each of them," said director of cricket, David Byas. Yorkshire make only one change from the squad of 12 chosen for the current Championship match with Essex, paceman Tim Bresnan replacing batsman Chris Taylor.

Bresnan was Yorkshire's joint leading wicket-taker in the League last season with 15 dismissals and in the home match with Leicestershire he also plundered his maiden half-century before being dismissed for a violent 61.

Yorkshire still went down by 18 runs, however, Leicestershire's Australian all-rounder Brad Hodge hammering out a century.