County cricket: Joe Root returns to the crease and to form for Yorkshire

LIVE – Updated at 20:28

The former England captain looked in good touch for Yorkshire against Essex but was outshone by young teammate Harry Brook.

If he couldn’t quite manage the Catherine Wheels and bangers of Ben Stokes, Joe Root looked in beautiful touch in his first innings for Yorkshire since stepping down from the England captaincy, wheeling out all the old favourites, from back foot punch to sweetly-time cut.

However, he was overshadowed by the young pretender, 23-year-old Harry Brook, whose golden touch with the bat this season continued with an unbeaten 110 - taking his average for the season so far to over 200. Brook got off the mark by belting a six off Simon Harmer over square leg, before sending him screaming for four; and met his century in the same way, a watch-me wallop soaring over mid-wicket. He and Dawid Malan (87), also in sublime touch, had put on more than 200 before the Essex bowlers could head off to soak their weary feet.

Surrey plundered their way to a three-day victory at The Oval, bowling out Northants cheaply for the second time in two days as they followed-on. The wickets were shared between Gus Atkinson, Jordan Clark and Dan Worrall. Emilio Gay top-scored with a valiant 51, his elbows peppered with balls that spat up from the turf. The remnants of Northants’ first-innings had lasted just ten and a bit overs in the morning, time though for Luke Procter (83 not out) to ping Jamie Overton for six out of the ground and into the Harleyford Road.

Young Aneurin Donald, whose last two years have been made miserable by two separate ACL injuries, sung a pitch-perfect 89 to keep in the game alive at the Ageas Bowl. He marched in for Hampshire with them in an unlikely fix at 65-7, and immediately