Darren Gough hogged the spotlight with a wicket from the third ball of the day at Chelmsford yesterday.

But after that he was reduced to playing a secondary role as Yorkshire hit back with a century from Phil Jaques before Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria returned his best figures for Essex of six for 121.

It looked as if Essex had made an unwise decision to field first as Jaques and Anthony McGrath revelled in a double-century stand for the second wicket but then Kaneria got to work and Yorkshire slid to 363 all out.

Steve Kirby marked his return with an early wicket and honours were about even at the close, with Essex on 41 for one, but Yorkshire may regret not giving a debut to 18-year-old leg-spinner Mark Lawson on a pitch that greatly assisted the slow bowlers even on the first day.

With Ian Harvey's hamstring strain sidelining him for at least three weeks, director of cricket, David Byas, promptly re-registered Jaques as his replacement.

Jaques was in the thick of the action straight off because Craig White dropped himself down the order and sent the Australian in first with Matthew Wood, who immediately departed for a duck, unable to avoid contact with a lifting ball from the triumphant Gough.

The rest of the morning belonged firmly to Yorkshire as Jaques worked the ball around with great fluency and McGrath gave England a reminder that he is still on their shortlist.

Gough was rested after an opening spell of one for 14 in six overs and Kaneria and former Yorkshire off-spinner James Middlebrook wheeled away for much of the remainder of the innings.

The batsmen were mainly in control but not entirely, Jaques lunging at Kaneria and being dropped at silly mid-off by Alastair Cook before surviving a stumping chance off Middlebrook, and McGrath being given the benefit of the doubt when there was uncertainty over whether James Foster's catch came via Aftab Habib's boot or the ground.

Jaques celebrated his first escape with a straight six and the second wicket pair were in such command that their second 50 together came in only eight overs.