Essex v Yorkshire: Unhappy Gale left frustrated as bowlers suffer in Bopara blitz

Not only did the 25-year-old share in an important half-century stand with the Yorkshireman in the Lions' Tri-Series final victory over India A, but earlier in the tournament he had followed a scintillating innings of 168 by claiming four wickets to humble the West Indians.

Yesterday, however, Gale was left ruing the considerable talent of his Lions' team-mate as Bopara put the brakes on the White Rose county's Championship title push.

The Yorkshire captain said: "Ravi played well. It was a chance-less innings and well-paced.

"He put the ball away well and I would imagine he is not far away from being in the Test team.

"But I also have to say it was not one of our better days. I thought our bowling was pretty average and that was disappointing.

"There were points in the day when Essex let us back into it by giving us wickets. I thought they gave us all six wickets.

"The pitch is a good one but I still feel we didn't play to our potential. The only pleasing thing is we are not starting the second day with Essex just three down," he added.

On an oppressive day in Chelmsford where the temperature gauge nudged towards 30 degrees Celsius despite the sun struggling to break through the clouds until the final hour or so, Bopara proved an obstinate barrier to the Yorkshire bowlers.

Arriving at the crease after the second of two Essex wickets had been lost in as many overs, he initially set about stabilising the home side's innings in the half-hour before lunch.

Then, after losing Tom Westley to the final delivery of the morning session, Bopara displayed tremendous poise and patience to ensure the home side ended the first day firmly in control.

His importance to the Essex innings was underlined in the afternoon session when he hit 71 of their 104 runs.

Likewise, after tea, he pushed on to bring up his century from 138 deliveries en route to a magnificent knock of 142 that included 19 boundaries.

So assured was Bopara's strokeplay, in fact, that the biggest danger to the England man before a tired attempted hook gave Best his only scalp of the day was his own team-mates' sometimes suicidal approach to running between the wickets.

First, Matt Walker's rash call for a run midway through the afternoon session saw Steve Patterson shatter the stumps with a direct throw just as Bopara dived to safety.

Then, it was James Foster's turn to put his team-mate in danger with an attempted quick single to mid-wicket that Jonathan Bairstow came within a whisker of capitalising on due to Bopara being hopelessly out of his ground.

Bopara's efforts, together with a useful opening stand of 97 between Alastair Cook and Jaik Mickleburgh, fully vindicated captain Foster's decision to bat after winning the toss.

In truth, it was a very good toss to win with the pitch offering little assistance to a bowling attack who put in plenty of effort for little reward.

Yorkshire's cause was admittedly not helped by losing Ajmal Shahzad to an ankle injury.

But, even so, it is debatable just how much difference the England bowler could have made on such a benign surface.

The opening overs of the day had given an indication as to just how much toil lay ahead for Yorkshire as both Cook and Mickleburgh settled quickly.

They were helped by some truly wretched bowling from Tino Best, the West Indian's line being so wayward in his first four over-spell that seven of the 19 runs conceded came from wides with a further two being from a no-ball.

Thankfully for the small band of Yorkshire supporters who had travelled to the County Ground, the rest of the attack did at least prove more reliable on an unforgiving surface.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby was unfortunate to see Mickleburg dropped at backward point by Adam Lyth, a spurned chance that had the potential to be very costly in such batsman-friendly conditions.

Much to Lyth's relief, however, Mickleburg lasted just five more overs before being bowled by Adil Rashid for 38.

Steve Patterson then suggested the tide was turning Yorkshire's way by dismissing Cook, caught behind by Gerard Brophy, and Tom Westley lbw to leave the hosts on 120-3 at lunch.

Bopara soon dispelled such thoughts, however, with a wonderful innings to remind watching England selector James Whitaker of his talent and leave Essex firmly in control.

Neil Carter hit an unbeaten 99 in Warwickshire's 313 to frustrate second-placed Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston.