YORKSHIRE faced a tall order today to get back into their first County Championship game of the season at Essex.

They were made to pay a heavy price for their early generosity to Essex opener Will Jefferson at Chelmsford yesterday.

The 6ft 10in right-hander survived a run-out chance before he had scored and was then put down by Chris Silverwood at mid-on when only on six.

After that, Yorkshire never looked like getting him out and he became the first Englishman of the season to score a Championship century before falling in the final over of the day for 149, Essex closing on 224-2.

Yorkshire captain Craig White probably had some misgivings about putting Essex in to bat after the first 75 minutes of the day had been lost to bad weather. Although the pitch had a greenish tinge about it the ball did not move around as much as expected and it will be of some consolation to White to know that Ronnie Irani would also have chosen to bowl had Essex won the toss.

Yorkshire bowled tidily in the shortened morning session and off the last ball before lunch Alaistair Cook had a dart outside off-stump at Ian Harvey and was caught behind by Ismail Dawood.

Jefferson's 50 came out of 70-1 but it took Grant Flower 75 deliveries to move into double figures with a flick through mid-wicket off Deon Kruis.

The century stand came off 35 overs and Jefferson hit Anthony McGrath for consecutive boundaries to reach three figures off 152 balls with 16 cleanly struck boundaries.

Jefferson continued to dominate after tea and Flower trundled to his 50 from 193 balls which was 41 more than his partner had needed for his century.

It was in some desperation that Yorkshire called up Michael Lumb as their seventh bowler but he got his third delivery to straighten and trap Jefferson lbw after stroking 24 boundaries off the 219 balls he received.

It was the fifth wicket of Lumb's career and Hoggard was brought straight back into the attack but before he could start the umpires decided it was too dark to continue and the last six overs were lost, making it 26 in all.

Updated: 10:46 Thursday, April 14, 2005