YORKSHIRE had Essex reeling on 76-4 on the first day of the Championship match at Headingley yesterday but then let them off the hook.

Everything turned sour as Andy Flower and Ronnie Irani both smacked centuries and featured in a record fifth wicket stand for the ground.

They put on 213 together in 63 overs which beat the previous best fifth wicket partnership at Headingley of an unbeaten 196 between Yorkshire's Roy Kilner and George Hirst against Gloucestershire in 1919.

The stand was also a record one for Essex's fifth wicket against Yorkshire, overtaking the unbroken 171 between Keith Fletcher and Mike McEvoy at Middlesbrough in 1977.

Both batsmen survived chances in their 20s, Flower brushing Matthew Wood's fingers as he edged between first and second slip and Irani being put down behind the wicket, but for the rest of the time they were in complete control, Irani driving powerfully and Flower cutting strongly.

Irani scored the more quickly of the two and his century came up off 158 balls with 16 boundaries but on 103 he edged a drive at Tim Bresnan to Phil Jaques who took a good fast catch at first slip.

Flower stood on 99 when he lost his captain but not long afterwards he cut Bresnan for four to reach three figures from 253 deliveries with 16 boundaries.

Darren Gough, playing in a Championship match at Headingley for the first time since leaving Yorkshire, came in as nightwatchman and was still there at the close when Essex were 308-5 with Flower 105.

Irani must for a while have doubted the wisdom of batting first after winning the toss as Deon Kruis and Chris Silverwood both captured a wicket in a fine spell together with the new ball.

In only his second over, Kruis got Will Jefferson lbw with one which nipped back and Silverwood gained a similar verdict against Grant Flower who was undone by an inswinger to leave Essex on 12-2.

Silverwood proceeded to bowl one of the tightest opening spells of his career with five of his first six overs being maidens and when he was rested he had figures of 9-6-6-1.

Opener Alastair Cook scored most of the runs that were on offer but Ravinder Bopara found the going so difficult that only a single came off the first 37 balls he faced, yet it was Cook who was out first as he fell lbw to Kruis for 42.

It was certainly Yorkshire's morning and in the over before the interval Bopara edged Anthony McGrath to Matthew Wood at second slip to depart for 18 squeezed out of 82 deliveries.

The remainder of the day turned into a hard grind for Yorkshire as Andy Flower and Irani atoned for Essex's earlier lapses and by the end of it they had put their side into a strong position.

Updated: 10:53 Thursday, May 26, 2005