George Hill to the fore with six of the best for Yorkshire CCC

His haul lifted him to 19 wickets in the County Championship this season at an average of 15.73.

To put that into context, that was seven more than Ben Coad and Jack White, who had both taken 12 and also started the season strongly.

Hill, who has also chipped in with the bat, scoring 64 at Durham and 63 at home to Worcestershire, has been Yorkshire’s best bowler so far this year.

This was his third six-wicket haul in first-class cricket, and his second-best figures behind his 6-26 against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2022.

Not the least impressive aspect of Hill’s work has been his accuracy, his economy rate standing at 2.68.

His wickets have come at around one every six overs; he is developing into a very fine player.

"We did really well to sort of drag it back after not batting particularly well on the first day,” said Hill, after the second day finished with Yorkshire in command.

"It’s always fun bowling with Coady because you know there’s not going to be many runs at the other end,

“We spoke about just trying to be as patient as possible, really sort of on our line and lengths, and it worked really well.

“Then the way Lythy, Beany and Wharts batted at the end of the day was really good too.”

Of his own form, Hill commented: “I feel in pretty good rhythm.

"I'm probably feeling more like an actual bowler rather than a batter that bowls a bit, sort of seeing myself as an actual threat now with the ball, which is good for my confidence.

"I’m just trying to run in hard, trying to hit the top of off each and every ball.

“I think it's just a mindset thing, trying to believe I'm probably a bowler rather than somebody who bowls a couple of overs.

"And the way Jonny (Bairstow, the captain) has given me a lot of responsibility, that gives me that confidence as well to feel that way.”

Hill it was who set the tone after Essex resumed on 27-3, 189 behind.

Only eight runs had been added in as many overs when he had Robin Das caught at third slip by Fin Bean to a delivery that came back in from the Sir Alastair Cook end, the batsman playing unconvincingly outside the off stump.

Matt Critchley gave Bean another catch at third slip, this time off Coad, and the hosts slipped to 59-6 when Coad found Tom Westley’s outside edge as the captain pushed forward.

Michael Pepper and Noah Thain frustrated Yorkshire with a stand of 46, but Dan Moriarty had Pepper caught behind to a well-flighted ball.

Hill struck with the fifth delivery of his second spell, this time from the Graham Gooch end, when Thain, driving expansively, was caught behind.

When Shane Snater also perished to the Hill-Bairstow combination, nibbling from the crease, the bowler had his fifth wicket and the wicketkeeper his fifth catch, Hill rounding things off when Kasun Rajitha played around his front pad and was leg-before.

Leading by 93, Yorkshire had increased that advantage to 121 at tea before a sun-kissed crowd of 1,487.

Fluency remained difficult on the docile pitch, the run-rate around 1.5 at the break, but Adam Lyth and Bean played it professionally, building on the lead in determined fashion.

Lyth reached his second fifty of the match from 106 balls, and the opening stand had reached 72 in 34 overs when Bean, in attempting to turn Thain to leg, spooned to Critchley at mid-on.

Wharton, top-scorer in the first innings, struck the first six of the game when he lofted Critchley over long-on into the River Can, and had reached 16 when stumps were drawn.

Lyth was still there on 79, made from 166 balls with 10 fours, the 37-year-old still in his element at the end of an excellent day for the visitors.