Ireland 38 for 2 trail Essex 343 (Das 132, Dockrell 74, Adair 62, Mayes 4-68) by 305 runs

Ireland play England at Lord's in a four-day Test on June 1 and this game represents their only match practice before that fixture. They arrived in England on Wednesday evening, though a delay in the arrival of their luggage forced them to cancel a planned training session the following day.

But it was Das, a product of Brentwood School who has already fielded as a substitute for England in Test cricket, who underpinned Essex's total of 343, reaching a 101-ball hundred before eventually falling to Andy McBrine's offspin.

McBrine came in for some rough treatment, conceding 98 runs in his 14 overs, as Essex scored at a run rate of nearly five an over across their first innings.

Paul Stirling missed the first day of the match to fulfil his commitments with Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast, but will join up with the squad in Chelmsford ahead of the second day.