ESSEX'S bowlers wreaked havoc among Yorkshire's batting line-up yet again as they took charge of this season-ending Specsavers County Championship match at Chelmsford.

Yorkshire were bowled out for just 111 during the second day, marking their lowest completed innings of a difficult campaign.

Their two previous worst totals came in last month's two-day defeat at Scarborough against the new champions when they were bowled out for 113 and 150.

Having seen Essex post 227 during Monday's first day, Yorkshire's latest example of their batting problems in 2017 meant they conceded a lead of 116 midway through the afternoon.

Admittedly the luck was not on their side in useful bowling conditions – but Essex showed the way in their second innings as they closed on 134-2 from 48 overs, leading by 250.

Captain Gary Ballance was run out backing up by New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner, who got a hand on a fierce Andrew Hodd straight drive, while Hodd was later trapped lbw by a Wagner in-swinging yorker which was going down leg.

Yet they should have done much better than only Adam Lyth and Hodd making it into the 20s with 35 and 21 respectively.

Pace and seam did the damage, left-armer Wagner finishing with three wickets alongside rising new-ball star Jamie Porter and experienced South African off-spinner Simon Harmer.

After a couple of early wickets for Jack Brooks in Essex's second innings, leaving the score at 6-2, the hosts then turned the screw either side of tea through unbeaten third-wicket pair Nick Browne and Dan Lawrence to make it likely they will finish the season unbeaten.

Thank goodness bonus points and events elsewhere confirmed Yorkshire's Division One status during the first day.

Yorkshire openers Lyth and Kraigg Brathwaite had navigated the first 35 minutes of day with some comfort, reaching 23-0 in the 11th over.

But Brathwaite, bowled by Porter, was the first of six morning wickets to fall for 67.

Lyth hit the first two balls from Harmer for four and six, swept through square-leg and lofted over long-on in the 14th over, before Alex Lees fell caught behind later in the over as the score fell to 40-2.

Lyth was caught behind off Wagner, who also trapped Jack Leaning lbw with an in-swinger, before Ballance's unfortunate departure for 13 after Hodd had middled a full toss.

Hodd then fell to the final ball of the morning as the score slipped to 90-6. That was the first of four wickets to fall for nine runs either side of lunch.

Steve Patterson was lbw to Porter, who bowled Matthew Fisher. Sandwiched in between, Brooks was caught behind off Harmer, who wrapped up the innings by removing Karl Carver the same way.

Yorkshire were given a lift when Brooks trapped Varun Chopra and Ravi Bopara lbw in the space of three balls in the third over of Essex's second innings.

But opener Browne (53no) and Lawrence (75no) sapped the energy out of the visitors either side of tea, both reaching 50 in a partnership of 128.

Lawrence was the first to get there off 102 balls, then Browne off 125.

Ben Coad bowled superbly and deserved some reward for his endeavour, sending down 12 overs for 24 while beating the bat on numerous occasions.