Sir Alastair Cook made his 71st first-class century for Essex against Yorkshire on a day when new England captain Ben Stokes was in the Durham line-up at Worcestershire.
Cook occupied the crease doggedly for his 107 from 268 balls, his third-wicket partnership of 174 with fellow left-hander Paul Walter guiding Essex to 234-3 in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash at Chelmsford.
Another of Cook's captaincy successors, Joe Root, featured for the first time since resigning the England role.
Root was deployed as one of seven bowlers as Yorkshire toiled to build on early successes that had left Essex in danger at 56-2. The unbeaten Walter finished the day just 11 short of a maiden first-class hundred.
Elsewhere, Rory Burns returned to form with 107 as Surrey reached 261-6 against Northamptonshire at the Kia Oval.
Surrey captain Burns, dropped as England's Test opener after a miserable time during the heavy Ashes series defeat in Australia last winter, had made only 119 runs from six previous championship innings this season.
But the 31-year-old held the hosts' first innings together and passed two milestones - 11,000 runs in all first-class cricket and 9,000 in first-class matches for the home side.
A fifth-wicket partnership of 95 with Sam Curran, unbeaten on 71 at the close, rescued Surrey from the tricky position of 133-4. Luke Procter (3-51) and Ben Sanderson (2-56) bowled well for the visitors.
Dominic Sibley, another opener discarded by England, made a century for Warwickshire against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.
Sibley's unbeaten 118 from 278 balls was his first ton since being dropped by England last summer and steered the Bears to 273-7.
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