WHATEVER happens against Essex at Chelmsford from Sunday onwards - and Yorkshire coach Andrew Gale is expecting a helter-skelter game - it surely won’t top last May’s Specsavers County Championship fixture there when the White Rose were bowled out for 50 in the first innings and still won.

A game which amazed everyone saw Yorkshire win by 91 runs inside three days, with second-innings centurion Harry Brook and six-wicket seamer Steve Patterson the stars.

Never mind this week, that kind of game will surely not happen again in the careers of everyone currently involved with the county.

“I hope not! I don’t think my nerves can handle a game like that again,” said Gale.

“It was bizarre. We had six out of the top eight who were all internationals as batters and all-rounders.

“So to get bowled out for 50 before lunch on the first day after winning the toss and batting was absolute madness.

“I was scratching my head, ‘How could this happen?’

“At one point I asked our driver if he could put my bag on the bus.”

But Yorkshire being bowled out for 50 was not the end of the drama - not by a long shot.

“I remember we had them two down at lunch and Joe Root said, ‘We’ve got a chance if we bowl them out for 150’,” recalled Gale, with Essex replying with 142 at tea.

With a deficit of 92, Yorkshire rolled the dice and sent Jonny Bairstow out to open the batting with Adam Lyth in a bid to counter-attack, which he did superbly with a pugnacious 50.

It meant, by the end of day one, Yorkshire were 161-2 with a lead of 69.

“It was Rooty’s idea to open with Jonny,” recalled Gale. “He got us level in no time and busted the game wide open.

“Harry Brook then got his first century and was outstanding (124 having dropped down to number three).

“I guess he’s not quite kicked on as we’d have liked since. But he showed what he can do. I’m sure, down the line, we will see that Harry Brook again.”

Brook’s century was the feature of Yorkshire’s second-innings 329 all out, helping to set a target of 238 late on day two before Patterson claimed a career best 6-40 in his first appearance of the season after a broken finger.

Essex, starting day three on 97-4, were bowled out for 146 inside 90 minutes of play, sealing the win.

Champions the season before, Essex had suffered their first Championship defeat since September 2016.

Gale said: “We ended up sat in a beer garden after the third day, not too long after lunch, reflecting on an unbelievable game and win.

“In years to come, the lads will sit down, reflect on that game and say, ‘Wow, how did that happen?’

“Patto, we’d brought him back early from a finger injury. He hadn’t really been passed fit, but he said he wanted to play. He went on and bowled brilliantly.

“They were in good form then and are now.

“Chelmsford’s a bit of a fortress for them. It seams and spins, and I would imagine this one will be a shortened game decided by who can bat best.”

Essex are currently second in the table having won their last three. They are 15 points behind leaders Somerset.

Yorkshire are sat third after their superb win over Surrey at Scarborough.

They are 21 points behind Essex and 36 behind Somerset with six games remaining.