Cricket: Yorkshire had to endure another roasting from an Australian at Chelmsford yesterday as Stuart Law rattled up a century which greatly assisted Essex in making 335 all out to give them a first innings lead of 24.

It was less than appeared likely with Law in full flow, however, and Yorkshire were spared an uncomfortable three overs at the end of the day when bad light prevented a start to their second innings.

Two games ago, Jamie Cox plundered Yorkshire's attack for 173 at Taunton to send Somerset on their way to a six wicket win and at Headingley on Monday Justin Langer thrashed an unbeaten 127 as Middlesex cantered home by five wickets.

Now it was Law's turn to flog some mediocre bowling to all parts and he had made a dashing 159 when Matthew Hoggard suddenly yorked him.

Any hopes Yorkshire entertained of going on to register maximum batting bonus points for the first time this season were dashed in the morning when they lost their last three wickets for just seven runs to close on 311.

Richard Blakey went in the second over, lbw pushing half forward to Mark Ilott, and Ashley Cowan cleaned up by getting Ryan Sidebottom and Hoggard out.

Although Yorkshire's bowling generally lacked discipline there were enough good balls to reduce Essex to 67 for three before Law got into the groove, first with acting captain Ronnie Irani and then with former Yorkshire all-rounder Paul Grayson.

In Chris Silverwood's second over, Paul Prichard lobbed a catch off the splice of his bat to Matthew Wood at short leg and at 23 Ian Flanagan was caught at second slip by David Byas nibbling at Hoggard.

Too many balls, particularly from Hoggard, were being sprayed around and Law looked in ominously good form but at 67 he lost opener Darren Robinson who suddenly received a beauty from Sidebottom and could not avoid making contact.

In Sidebottom's same over, Law edged just in front of Byas and it was the nearest he came to giving a chance as he went on the rampage in the afternoon when he added 103 to his score between lunch tea

Law and Irani both drove crisply to take the stand to 50 in 11 overs and Law galloped to his own half-century by cutting Ian Fisher for his seventh boundary.

Byas turned to Greg Blewett in an attempt to break the stand and it worked with the Australian picking up his first wicket for Yorkshire as Irani was bowled

Irani had contributed 48 to his 95 stand with Law who dominated the 94 partnership which followed with Grayson to such an extent that his share of the runs was 70.

After three overs from Blewett had cost 19 runs, he was replaced by Yorkshire's seventh bowler, Michael Vaughan, but Law set his sights on Fisher, driving him out of the ground with a straight six and following up this shot with consecutive cover drives for four to race to his century off 141 balls.

Essex had things pretty much their own way in the afternoon when 140 runs were added, but not long into the evening session Law was hit on the right forearm by a ball from Craig White and had to have it heavily bandaged before continuing.

Yorkshire kept finding theoccasional splendid delivery with telling results and it was a good ball from White which ended Grayson's innings.

Law steamed to his 150 before Hoggard dug in a perfect yorker to end a quality innings stretched over 219 balls with 19 fours and a six.

Ashley Cowan drove to Silverwood and mid-off in Hoggard's next over and with the bowlers finding new bursts of energy, Essex gently subsided. Ilott was trapped lbw by Sidebottom and White rounded things off by having Peter Such caught at point and trapping last man Jamie Grove lbw.

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