RAVI Bopara provided the performance of the day as leaders Yorkshire began their LV= County Championship match with Essex at Chelmsford.

The home side reached 353-6 after winning the toss, with England hopeful Bopara giving the Test selectors a timely reminder of his capabilities when hitting 142 from 193 deliveries.

His innings included 19 boundaries in a display of classy strokeplay that saw superbly-timed drives on both sides of the wicket.

It proved a day of toil in the sultry conditions for the visiting attack, although they will be satisfied with their capture of six wickets on a pitch which favoured the batsmen and a fast-scoring outfield.

The Tykes bowlers had an early indication of the labours ahead when openers Jaik Mickleburgh and Alastair Cook posted 97 runs in 23 overs before being parted and it was leg-spinner Adil Rashid that broke the stand.

He bowled Mickleburgh for 38 with a googly that went between bat and pad, and the wicket would have come as a welcome relief to Adam Lyth, who spilled a chance at backward point off Oliver Hannon-Dalby when Mickleburgh was on 20 and the score 72-0.

Having captured the first wicket on 97, the second fell in the next over and without addition when Steve Patterson struck to have the increasing threat of Cook removed by Gerard Brophy for 44 when the left-hander chased a wide delivery outside off stump and was caught.

Further encouragement came on the stroke of lunch when Patterson breached the defences of Tom Westley, who was struck on the pads as he pushed forward having scored six to leave the home side 120-3 at the interval.

The post-lunch session belonged to Essex as Bopara led the rebuilding exercise, firstly with Matt Walker as 80 runs were added in 29 overs before Walker swept Rashid and was well caught by Jonny Bairstow at deep mid-wicket to leave the hosts on 200-4.

James Foster joined Bopara to continue the recovery with the highest stand of the day realising 124 runs as the Essex captain and wicketkeeper reached a 76-ball half-century with six boundaries.

He had advanced to 61 when Hannon-Dalby had him caught at deep square leg by Patterson, having enjoyed a profitable and entertaining liaison with Bopara as the pair comfortably contended with the regular bowling changes effected by Andrew Gale.

It was the return of the somewhat wayward Tino Best into the attack that brought about Bopara’s downfall.

The batsman had helped himself to a couple of boundaries when he holed out to Rashid stationed at deep mid-wicket to give the West Indian pace bowler his first wicket of the day.

The pick of the bowlers though was Tim Bresnan who bowled without much luck, beating the bat on more than one occasion but failing to find the edge.