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.

Yorkshire hit back with a century from Phil Jaques before Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria returned his best figures for Essex of 6-121.

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 41-1 but Yorkshire may later 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.

Yorkshire before the start anxiously awaited a report from consultant physiotherapist, Wayne Morton, on the seriousness of Ian Harvey's hamstring strain and when they heard he would be out 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 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 1-14 in six overs and it was not long before Kaneria and former Yorkshire off-spinner James Middlebrook were wheeling 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.

McGrath on-drove Middlebrook high into the stand for six but Jaques was let off again on 91 when Andy Flower missed a sharp chance at slip.

Jaques was unperturbed by his error and he soon picked up a ball from Andrew Clarke and deposited it over mid-wicket for six to record Yorkshire's first Championship century of the season.

Middlebrook began the slide by getting Jaques to slice a skier to mid-wicket for 115 from 165 balls with 11 fours and three sixes and McGrath was unable to survive the nervous nineties, his cut at Kaneria ending up in Foster's gloves and he went for 93 off 174 deliveries.

The early good work was rapidly undone as Kaneria enjoyed a spell of four wickets for five runs in 34 balls but Michael Lumb (45) and Richard Dawson (49) made sure that the final score was a respectable one.

Chris Silverwood and Kirby, back in action again after their ankle and back injuries, shared the new ball and White soon snapped up Cook at gully as the left-hander got a thick edge to a ball from Kirby which slanted across him.

It quickly became an all-spin attack when Dawson and Darren Lehmann took over but Will Jefferson and Flower prevented a further breakthrough.

Updated: 10:00 Thursday, June 03, 2004