Tom Westley kicked off his season with an innings that helped Essex to a commanding lead against Lancashire in the Vitality County Championship at Chelmsford.
The Essex captain scored 1,130 runs last season but had only managed 56 in four innings this time around. However, his fluent 81 off 138 balls signalled a personal return to form and helped Essex to a first-innings lead of 231 against a struggling Lancashire. By the close of play, Lancashire had lost captain Keaton Jennings as they crawled to 10-1 in 10 evening overs to avoid an innings defeat.
In a throwback to earlier times, there was a Cook at the top of the Essex order. But it was the unlikely figure of Sam rather than Sir Alastair. The nightwatchman hung around for nearly two and a half hours and 126 balls for a first-class century that left him one run short of a maiden fifty.
Essex had overhauled Lancashire's first-innings total in 36 overs when they lost the overnight wicket of Feroze Khushi, who had laid the foundations with a half-century at a strike-rate of 160. Elgar and Cook were more cautious, but their impact was equally demoralising for the flagging fielding side as they put on 120 in 36 overs.
Cook pulled George Balderson for a perfect boundary, while Elgar also pulled Balderson to the ropes and followed the next ball with an angled glide to third man for another of his 10 fours.
Lancashire did not help themselves when, shortly after bringing up the century partnership in 187 balls, Cook was dropped at third slip by George Bell on 44. He went to lunch on 49 and was promptly back at the pavilion when he was caught at slip off Balderson's mistimed drive outside off stump.
Elgar passed 17,000 first-class runs during his three-and-a-half hour stay but was eventually caught behind when he edged to Will Williams for 79, his third 50-plus score in five innings for his new county.
There was no let-up after Elgar's departure. Westley and Jordan Cox settled into a steady rhythm, with Westley characteristically strong off his legs and Cox helping a Lyon ball that drifted down leg-side to the boundary.
Their partnership was worth 57 when Cox tamely dragged Jack Blatherwick to short midwicket. Matt Critchley, centurion against Kent last week, came and went quickly. Lyon found one to turn sharply and catch the angled bat on its way to the hands of slip.
The introduction of Luke Wells' spin just before tea led to a flurry of scoring, his only over of the spell conceding 17 runs. Westley smashed a delivery through the covers to reach his fifty and then Michael Pepper twice lofted over long-on for a total of 10 runs.
Pepper treated Bailey and the new ball with similar disdain. He hooked a six to fine leg and then drove through midwicket. But he was caught at slip for 30 off 31 balls in the next over, playing down the wrong line to Williams.
Noah Thain batted attractively on his first-class debut, hitting 24 off 50 balls, before he was dismissed by a low delivery from Balderson that disturbed his middle and off stumps. Four overs later, Westley was also the victim of a low Lyon delivery that beat his mistimed swish and hit his protruding front pad.
Wells then trapped both Shane Snater and Simon Harmer in the space of eight balls to wrap up the innings.
Lancashire's reply faltered when Jennings, who scored a century against Hampshire last week, fell for his second single-figure score of the match, lbw to a delivery from Jamie Porter. Nightwatchman Williams could have gone first ball but Harmer took a routine catch at second slip.