Yorkshire were denied a valuable County Championship victory at Essex despite a thrilling run chase at Chelmsford.

Led by Jacques Rudolph, who hit a magnificent century, the Tykes fell just short of a mammoth victory target of 369 – meaning their lead at the top of the table has been cut to just six points after this round of fixtures.

It was tough on the White Rose, who confidently went about trying to reach what would have been the fifth highest total they had ever chased down in first-class cricket, but in the end they were 36 runs short after an captivating finish at the County Ground.

“It was a great game of cricket, but it is just a pity we could not quite come away with a win,” said Rudolph, who made 106.

For long periods of the final day it had looked like his efforts would mean a Tykes triumph, after an attacking declaration from Essex’s captain James Foster had opened the game up.

He helped put on 79 for the first wicket with Adam Lyth, before moving the score on to 199-2 with captain Andrew Gale after Anthony McGrath had come and gone for only 16.

However, when Gale fell for 41 and the Rudolph followed four overs later, to Tom Westley and Tim Phillips respectively, hopes of a Yorkshire victory looked bleak.

It brought Jonny Bairstow and Gerard Brophy to the crease, though, and soon the total was down to 131 from the last 20 overs.

However, Essex, who qualified for the quarter-finals of the Twenty20, then showed what a capable limited overs team they are once more to only leak 30 runs from the final ten overs. In addition, Brophy, who made 28, and Bairstow, who struck a stunning 62, were brilliantly caught by Matt Walker and Grant Flower respectively, and Tim Bresnan was also stumped for only one.

That meant this fluctuating game had taken another twist and with Yorkshire now seven down for the last five overs, Essex suddenly sensed victory.

Fortunately, with six fielders around the bat, Adil Rashid and Steven Patterson managed to survive to make sure the Tykes left East Anglia with eight points.

They do not have long to recover from an energy-sapping end though as they are back in action tomorrow when the 40-over competition returns.

The high-flying Tykes take on Middlesex at Lord’s having won all four of their games in the competition so far, meaning they go into the match top of Group ‘A’.

Ajmal Shahzad, who missed the clash with Essex through injury, should be fit to play.