Essex added to Lyth's list as Yorkshire battle back

While forming the backbone of the Yorkshire innings and, therefore, their title challenge, the 22-year-old was the first to reach 1,000 first-class runs.

He was also the first to strike 100 boundaries, while his tally of 1,142 LV County Championship runs is comfortably more than any other batsman has managed in the First Division.

Such is his form, in fact, that few would bet against Lyth joining the great Darren Lehmann as only the second White Rose batsman in the past decade to hit more than 1,500 first-class runs in a season.

After the second day of Yorkshire's Championship encounter at Chelmsford, it seems further kudos could well be due the Whitby-born left-hander. Namely, scoring at least a half-century against every side in the First Division during the same season.

Before yesterday, of the seven counties that Yorkshire had faced in 2010, only the Essex attack had been spared with Lyth's contribution to May's convincing win by an innings at Scarborough being, by his standards, a 'mere' 47.

However, in swelteringly hot conditions, that exception was yesterday banished with a commendable 75 that helped Yorkshire finish the day 172 runs adrift of the home side with five wickets in hand.

It also means only Nottinghamshire, who are yet to face the White Rose county in four-day cricket, stand between Lyth and a clean sweep of half-centuries against the top-flight counties.

Speaking after passing the 50-mark for the 11th time in Championship cricket this term, Lyth said: "Before the season, my target was to get more than 1,000 runs so I have to be pleased with how it has been going.

"It was disappointing not to get to 100 (against Essex) but I would probably have taken 75 before play got underway.

"We were disappointed to lose a couple of late wickets as it means Essex probably have a slight advantage. But Tim (Bresnan) and Gerard (Brophy) are capable of scoring a lot of runs in the morning, as is Adil (Rashid). If they do that, we can, hopefully, put some pressure on the opposition."

Lyth's 75 together with Adil Rashid's third five-wicket haul of the season meant Essex were unable to maintain the control they had enjoyed on the first day.

Certainly, coach Paul Grayson, the younger brother of Leeds United manager Simon, would have been hoping for a much healthier total than 399 when play resumed amid bright sunshine.

Needing just 47 runs from the first 14 overs to claim a fifth bonus point, Essex's cautious approach during the morning session was mystifying.

Grant Flower was the guilty party, facing 43 balls without adding to his overnight score of five before, mercifully for the healthily-sized crowd, perishing after the cut-off point of 110 overs had been passed.

Maybe realising the error of his ways, he attempted to rush Rashid but could only chip lamely into the hands of Anthony McGrath at mid-off.

Tim Phillips, who had at least tried to move the scoring on at a rate quicker than an asthmatic snail, was then deceived by a fine delivery from Rashid before Tino Best sent Maurice Chambers's leg-stump cart-wheeling out of the ground with a fierce delivery.

The end of the Essex innings came the following over when Andy Carter, in attempting to smash Rashid for six, could only find Oliver Hannon-Dalby at mid-on.

In reply, Yorkshire started impressively with Jacques Rudolph bringing up his side's 50 by lifting Tim Phillips over long-off for six.

However, any fears among the locals that the South African was about to repeat the heroics that brought an unbeaten century when the two sides met in May at Chelmsford in the Clydesdale Bank 40-Over League were allayed when he was deceived by a short delivery from Carter.

A fantastic reaction catch at the second attempt by Jaik Mickleburgh at short leg then accounted for McGrath before Lyth and Jonathan Bairstow were bowled by Chris Wright and Tim Phillips respectively.

A decent evening session for Essex was then capped by Tom Westley tempting an edge from Andrew Gale that James Foster gratefully accepted to leave the hosts just shading the game at the halfway stage.

DISPLAY OF THE DAY

Adam Lyth

By no means his best innings of the season, but still an impressive effort from a left-hander who faced 140 balls and hit 11 boundaries.

Essex v Yorkshire

Chelmsford: Yorkshire (3pts) trail Essex (4) by 172 with 5 first inns wkts standing.

Essex First Innings

J C Mickleburgh b A U Rashid 38

A N Cook c Brophy b Patterson 44

T Westley lbw b Patterson 6

R S Bopara c A U Rashid b Best 142

M J Walker c Bairstow b A U Rashid 26

J S Foster c Patterson b Hannon-Dalby 61

G W Flower c McGrath b A U Rashid 5

T J Phillips b A U Rashid 30

C J C Wright not out 13

M A Chambers b Best 0

A Carter c Hannon-Dalby b A U Rashid 8

Extras b10 lb6 w8 nb2 26

Total (116.5 overs) 399

Fall: 1-97 2-97 3-120 4-200 5-324 6-336 7-368 8-381 9-386.

Bonus Pts: Essex 4 Yorkshire 3.

Bowling: Bresnan 28 8 73 0, Best 16 1 63 2, Patterson 23 5 89 2, A U Rashid 25.5 7 87 5, Hannon-Dalby 14 3 54 1, McGrath 10 4 17 0.

Yorkshire First Innings

A Lyth b Wright 75

J A Rudolph c Cook b Carter 32

A McGrath c Mickleburgh b Phillips 11

A W Gale c Foster b Westley 47

J M Bairstow b Phillips 18

G L Brophy not out 25

T T Bresnan not out 3

Extras lb6 nb10 16

Total 5 wkts (76 overs) 227

Fall: 1-81 2-104 3-146 4-177 5-215

To Bat: A U Rashid, S A Patterson, T L Best, O J Hannon-Dalby.

Bowling: Chambers 11 4 27 0, Wright 12 3 45 1, Phillips 29 7 72 2, Westley 9 2 16 1, Carter 13 0 48 1, G W Flower 2 0 13 0.

Umpires: M R Benson and N J Llong.