ESSEX were bowled out for 334 on the opening day's play at Wantage Road after a dramatic post-tea collapse.

The visitors lost their last 8 wickets for just 68 runs, including four without a run being added, as Northamptonshire roared back after taking the second new ball. Essex had been cruising towards an apparent substantial total at 266-2.

Steven Crook was the cause of the carnage, claiming four wickets in 13 deliveries to leave the visitors reeling as a series of Essex batsmen came and went - and without scoring.

James Foster, Ryan ten Doeschate, James Middlebrook, Alex Tudor and Andre Nel all failed to get their innings started.

Yet earlier, Alastair Cook and Mark Pettini had paved the way to a substantial total, posting 190 for the first wicket.

England and Essex batsman Cook took the opportunity to boost his aggregate of runs with his third century of the season.

He recorded his fourteenth first-class century yesterday. Cook's head-to-head battle with Eng-land colleague Monty Panesar finished decisively in favour of the Essex player, who reached his half-century with the first of four successive boundaries.

There was one chance offered by the left-hander, who was on 37 when he steered the ball to the left of wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien, who failed to take the difficult opportunity.

Otherwise, it was a blemish-free innings full of trademark off drives.

His hundred arrived from 140 deliveries with 18 boundaries, and only ended when he stepped back to cut Panesar, only to nick the ball into O'Brien's gloves.

Pettini played an admirable support role, reaching a 116-ball half-century.

He made 67 before spinner Jason Brown bowled him, having induced him to play down the wrong line, fitting reward for the bowler who had completed an unchanged stint in the post-lunch session.

Varun Chopra grafted res-ponsibly for 38. He was pinned in the crease by David Wigley to leave his side 266-3 wickets - but about to fall into terminal decline.

Twenty runs had been added when Ravinder Bopara, on 26, steered a ball from Crook into the hands of second slip.

Three more wickets fell on the same score, with Crook having Foster caught behind, ten Doeschate trapped on the front foot and uprooting middle and off stumps of Middlebrook.

Ronnie Irani managed to steer Essex towards a third bonus point before losing Alex Tudor, who was leg before to Lance Klusener wth the same bowler, then picking up Andre Nel four runs later.

Danish Kaneria battled for the cause, joining his captain in a last wicket stand worth 27 runs.

He then chipped David Wigley to mid-off just before the scheduled close, having struck three boundaries in his 21, to leave Irani unbeaten on 34 and reflecting on a bizarre two-hour session of play.

Scoreboard - Essex 334 all out (Cook 136, Pettini 67, Irani 34 not out, Crook 4-56)