YORKSHIRE are hurtling towards a thumping Specsavers County Championship defeat against Essex at Chelmsford – possibly inside three days.

Set 451 to win with 54 overs remaining in the day, the White Rose team slumped to 35-6 as they took tea at 37-6 from 16 overs.

Adam Lyth, Kraigg Brathwaite, Alex Lees, Gary Ballance, Jack Leaning and Andrew Hodd all fell cheaply after Simon Harmer had completed his second half-century of the match for the hosts.

Harmer hit an unbeaten 58 as Essex advanced from 275-5 at lunch to 334-7 before they declared.

Matthew Fisher finished with 3-69 from 20.2 overs, while Ben Coad was the pick of the second-innings bowling with 1-37 from 17.

Lyth was caught behind in the second over of the Yorkshire chase off Sam Cook, who later bowled Lees, trapped Ballance lbw and had Leaning caught behind.

Jamie Porter removed Brathwaite lbw and off-spinner Harmer did the same to Hodd, who was reverse sweeping. No-one reached double figures.