Bess and Kuldeep leave Essex 253 runs behind at Headingley

Dom Bess starred with bat and ball as Yorkshire took control of their County Championship Division One match against Essex at Headingley. BBC Sport reported that Yorkshire reached 390 before reducing the visitors to 137-7 by the close of day two, leaving Essex 253 runs behind and still 104 short of avoiding the follow-on.

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Yorkshire resumed on 241-6 and advanced to 335-7 by lunch. George Hill was caught and bowled by Shane Snater for 40, but Bess and Kuldeep Yadav then added 83 for the eighth wicket. Bess reached his half-century from 100 balls and finished unbeaten on 80, while Kuldeep contributed 36 before returning a catch to Matt Critchley.

Critchley took the final three Yorkshire wickets to complete figures of 5-85. He had Ben Cliff caught and dismissed Jack White leg before wicket after lunch. Essex were operating with a depleted attack after Jamie Porter pulled up during his 21st over before lunch and left the field. Mitch Killeen was subsequently named as the injury replacement for Porter, while England seamer Sam Cook entered the match in place of Killeen.

Kuldeep quickly made the spin-friendly surface count when Essex began their reply. The left-arm wrist-spinner trapped Paul Walter leg before with his fourth delivery and bowled Tom Westley in his second over, leaving Essex 15-2 at tea. Charlie Allison briefly counterattacked, including a six down the ground, but Kuldeep dismissed him leg before for 15.

Hill then removed Critchley leg before in the following over as Essex slid to 32-4. Dean Elgar and Luc Benkenstein put together 34 runs in a short recovery, but Bess dismissed both batters leg before. The off-spinner then bowled Snater, giving him figures of 3-36 and leaving Essex seven wickets down before the total had reached 100.

George Bell prevented further damage with an unbeaten 42 and carried Essex to 137-7 at stumps. According to the BBC Sport report, Kuldeep also took three wickets, meaning the two Yorkshire spinners accounted for six of the seven dismissals after contributing 119 runs between them earlier in the day. Both teams entered the fixture just above the Division One relegation zone, adding weight to the final two days of a match Yorkshire now leads by a substantial first-innings margin.