YORKSHIRE saved their worst until last as they ended a Specsavers County Championship campaign they would rather forget by being bowled out for just 74 by champions Essex at Chelmsford today.

The White Rose slipped to a three-day defeat by 376 runs, their fifth reverse of the season, after being set a target of 451 midway through the afternoon.

Yorkshire’s four lowest totals this season have all come against Essex; 113, 150, 111 and now this.

After day two of this match, when Yorkshire posted that 111 in reply to Essex’s first innings 227, coach Andrew Gale was furious.

He described their performance as “soft” and said: “When it's difficult, you've got to grind it out. I question if they're willing to grind it out.”

Unfortunately, at the first available opportunity, his batsmen proved him right, with ninth-wicket pair Matthew Fisher and Karl Carver at least offering some late resistance with a stand of 34.

Fisher’s 25 was the only score in double figures as Yorkshire suffered their heaviest ever defeat by a runs margin.

There are mitigating circumstances. Essex’s attack, comprising of Jamie Porter, Sam Cook (5-20 from eight overs), New Zealand Test quick Neil Wagner and former South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer, allows no let-up.

They have replicated the formidable reputation Yorkshire’s attack had in winning back-to-back Championship titles in 2014 and 2015.

But this pitch was not a minefield, despite being helpful for bowling, and they should not have posted their lowest total since 67 against Lancashire in 1999.

Essex started the day on 134-2 in their second innings, leading by 250. They advanced that to 334-7 midway through the afternoon as Dan Lawrence and Nick Browne completed innings of 83 apiece and Harmer hit 57, his second half-century of the match.

There was a highlight in the fact that Ben Coad took his 50th Championship wicket of an impressive breakthrough year when he had Lawrence lbw.

Fisher also encouraged with three wickets as the bowlers plugged away, not helped by a couple of tough dropped catches.

Then, a batting line-up which has just not done it often enough this year, slumped badly. Cook did the bulk of the damage with the new ball.

A seamer who has a bit of Steve Patterson about him, he had Adam Lyth caught behind in the second over of the innings.

He then bowled Alex Lees, trapped Gary Ballance lbw and had Jack Leaning caught behind.

Ballance has impressed this year with 951 Championship runs, but this was certainly not the way he would have wanted to mark his recall to England’s Test squad for this winter’s Ashes series.

Ballance and Coad are the only two contenders for top prize at Yorkshire’s end of season awards dinner next week.

Harmer also had Andrew Hodd lbw reverse sweeping.

Porter is the leading Championship wicket-taker, and he added his 74th and 75th victims. He trapped Kraigg Brathwaite lbw early on and had Patterson caught behind with the first ball of the evening session as the score slipped to 37-7 in the 17th over.

Cook then claimed his fifth wicket when he had Jack Brooks caught at first slip in the next over with just 38 on the scoreboard.

Harmer trapped Carver lbw as Yorkshire slipped to 72-9, with Fisher gloving a Wagner bouncer behind to end the match.