County Championship: Joe Root in runs as Yorkshire feast on Essex bowlers

Former England Test captain Joe Root stroked his way to a half-century in 88 balls

Harry Brook upstaged former England Test skipper Joe Root as Yorkshire feasted on the Essex bowlers on day three of their County Championship clash at Chelmsford.

Root, in what was remarkably only his 50th County Championship appearance for the White Rose despite making his debut back in April 2011, stroked his way to a half-century in 88 balls, the exact same number as his successor as England captain Ben Stokes had taken to smash 161 against Worcestershire at New Road 24 hours earlier.

However, Brook stole the spotlight, giving another stunning audition ahead of the first Test of the summer against New Zealand next month, by smiting a thrilling century, so keeping up his record of scoring 50 or more in every innings so far this season.

The 23-year-old, who closed on 110 not out, currently averages over 200 for the campaign.

He shared a record unbroken stand of 210 with Dawid Malan, who made 87 not out, his fifth half-century in a row, as the White Rose piled up 425-5 by the close - a lead of 22.

Root was immediately in the action and got under way with a streaky four wide of second slip. Sam Cook beat him all ends up with a peach of a delivery next up, but that was Root's only moment of concern.

In many ways this was trademark Root, a delicate cut to third man here, a sweep to fine leg there, the back foot punch and the off-drive all featured.

He was merciless on anything short too - all this either side of a lengthy stoppage for rain just 45 minutes into the day that drove the players off for an early lunch.

At the other end, Matthew Revis looked too good for the nightwatchman role he had played since the previous evening.

The 20-year-old blunted the opening salvos and had just three singles to his name from his first 59 balls.

A drive creamed through cover off Mark Steketee signalled a gear change and he later struck Snater for successive boundaries.

The hundred stand came up in two hours, but, with a half-century in sight, Revis pushed a ball from Simon Harmer to mid-wicket and set off without waiting for it to beat the fielder. Root sent him back, and when Matt Critchley returned to the striker's end Revis was left short on 47.

Root's demise came equally out of the blue when he under-edged a Critchley googly on to his leg-bail on 75, but this brought Malan and Brook together and the latter got off the mark by slog-sweeping Harmer over the square-leg fence.

It was a sign of things to come as bristling with aggression he plundered already tiring bowlers, becoming the leading run-scorer in Division One this season when he reached 49 and the single that followed meant his latest half-century had come in 48 balls.

At the other end, Malan was all finesse and timing, his driving, whether straight or square, a thing of beauty, reaching his landmark in 92 deliveries.

The pair forged on in a lengthy last session, and with great symmetry, having got off the mark with a six Brook reached an all-but run a ball century by hoisting Critchley over the ropes at mid-wicket.

In the dying embers of the days Yorkshire's record books were rewritten when Brook and Malan's sixth-wicket stand reached 201, surpassing the 200 set by David Denton and George Hirst way back in 1902.

Report supplied by the ECB Reporters' Network.