Yorkshire were denied a valuable LV=County Championship victory at Essex despite a thrilling run-chase at Chelmsford.

Led by Jacques Rudolph, who hit a magnificent century, the Tykes fell just 36 short of a mammoth victory target of 369 – meaning their lead at the top of the table has been cut to just six points.

“It was a great game of cricket but it is just a pity we could not quite come away with a win,” said Rudolph, who made 102.

He put on 79 for the first wicket with Adam Lyth, after an attacking declaration from Essex’s captain James Foster had opened up the game.

Rudolph moved the score on to 199-2 with captain Andrew Gale, after Anthony McGrath had come and gone for only 11.

However, when Gale fell for 41 and then Rudolph was ousted four overs later, hopes of a Tykes victory looked bleak.

It brought Jonathan Bairstow and Gerard Brophy to the crease though and soon the total was down to 131 from the last 20 overs.

However, Essex, who qualified for the quarter-finals of the Twenty20 by topping their section, then showed what a capable limited overs team they are once more.

In the final ten overs they only leaked 30 runs, whilst Brophy, for 28, Bairstow, for 62, and Tim Bresnan, for only one, were all ousted to effectively end the contest.

Next up for Yorkshire is a return to the ECB 40-over competition, with the Tykes, who top their group after four sraight wins, taking on Middlesex at Lords on Sunday.

Ajmal Shahzad should be fit to play after recovering from an hamstring and ankle injury.