YORKSHIRE captain Andrew Gale hailed Steve Patterson’s form after the seam bowler claimed six wickets yesterday to hand Yorkshire a thumping three-day County Championship win over Essex at Scarborough.

The 26 year-old took four wickets in the morning session to complete a maiden first-class five-wicket haul as the visitors subsided to 206 all out 50 minutes before lunch after starting the day at 159-5.

Patterson, 5-50 from 19.5 overs, then claimed 2-19 from ten overs to bowl the visitors out for 214 second time around.

After the innings and 96- run victory, Yorkshire’s third in five LV Division One matches, Gale said: “I’m pleased for Patto. He’s worked very hard, and has deserved a chance in the first team. He’s taking that chance.”

This was only the 15th Championship match of Patterson’s career since making his debut in 2006. But, as Gale hinted, he is a hard man to drop.

Gale continued: “Patto’s bowled well all year. He bowls straight and full, so is always asking questions of the batsmen.

He gets a lot of lbw and bowled.”

The 23 points means Yorkshire extend their lead at the top of the table, although they will only find out today by how many after the other topflight matches have finished.

“It was a perfect display all round. I think everyone made vital contributions throughout the game,” continued Gale. “The lads are growing in confidence all the time with every win that we gain.

“This was a top effort. The way we went about our business was brilliant.

“The belief is there, the enthusiasm is there, and the performances we are putting in are first class.”

Gale became the first Yorkshire captain to enforce the follow-on in successive matches for exactly half a century yesterday morning.

The last time the White Rose did that, Harold Macmillan was Prime Minister.

While leg-spinner Adil Rashid claimed the last three wickets of the match, Tino Best, Rich Pyrah and Oliver Hannon-Dalby all chipped in with two throughout the day.

Best claimed another wicket in either innings – he finished with 3-54 from 15 first innings overs – while Hannon- Dalby removed openers Billy Godleman and Alastair Cook in the second innings and Pyrah got Jaik Mickleburgh and James Foster in the afternoon.

Scoreboard

Yorkshire v Essex At Scarborough

Overnight: Yorkshire 516 (A W Gale 135, A McGrath 112, J M Bairstow 62,R M Pyrah 61). Essex 159-5.

Essex First Innings

J S Foster lbw b Patterson ....................35

R N ten Doeschate lbw b Best ..............24

T J Phillips c A U Rashid b Patterson ....19

D D Masters c Sayers b Patterson ........11

C J Wright b Patterson ................... 4

C S Martin not out ..................... 0

Extras (lb1 w1 nb6 pens 0)........8

Total (57.5 overs) ...................206

Fall: 1-23 2-27 3-32 4-74 5-135 6-159 7- 167 8-192 9-204

Bowling: Best 15-2-54-3. Hannon-Dalby 11- 1-38-1. Patterson 19.5-7-50-5. A U Rashid 9- 0-42-1. Pyrah 3-1-21-0.

Essex Second Innings

B A Godleman c A U Rashid b Hannon-Dalby .................. 1

A N Cook c Bairstow b Hannon-Dalby ..10

J K Maunders c Bairstow b Patterson ...33

J C Mickleburgh lbw b Pyrah ...............33

M L Pettini lbw b Best .............47

J S Foster c Bairstow b Pyrah ............... 5

R N ten Doeschate c Lyth b Patterson ..35

T J Phillips not out .......................19

D D Masters st Bairstow b A U Rashid .. 9

C J Wright st Bairstow b A U Rashid ..... 4

C S Martin lbw b A U Rashid ................11

Extras (b5 lb2 pens 0) ...............7

Total (67.5 overs) ...................214

Fall: 1-1 2-28 3-57 4-97 5-105 6-158 7- 179 8-196 9-200

Bowling: Best 13-0-51-1. Hannon-Dalby 10- 3-26-2. A U Rashid 25.5-2-98-3. Patterson 10-6-19-2. Sayers 3-1-5-0. Pyrah 6-2-8-2.

Yorkshire (23pts) beat Essex (2pts) by an innings and 96 runs.