Mike Hussey reached 1,000 runs in his debut season on the county circuit as Northamptonshire claimed the first-day honours against their fellow Division One strugglers Essex at Wantage Road.

The 26-year-old from Western Australia, signed by Northants last winter to replace fellow Aussie Matthew Hayden, hit a sparkling career-best 200 not out - his third three-figure score in four Championship matches – to boost Northants to 378-3 from 104 overs at the close.

It was an important toss to win and Ronnie Irani would have been bitterly disappointed to call incorrectly and concede first use of a pitch looking full of runs.

Hussey and Adrian Rollins (39) shared an opening stand of 135 in 39 overs before the Essex attack enoyed its first success in the second over after lunch when Rollins played on to Peter Such.

Mal Loye weighed in with a typically entertaining 52 off 74 balls, including two sixes and seven fours, and Russell Warren (38) kept Hussey company for another 25 overs before edging left-arm spinner Tim Phillips to wicket-keeper James Foster.

But the day belonged emphatically to Hussey, who moved past the 1,000 mark when his score reached 89. His knock featured a six and 34 fours and he becomes the first player since the former England batsman Roger Prideaux in 1962 to achieve a four-figure tally in the season of his Northants debut.

Despite the visitors' efforts to slow the game down in the final session, Hussey was still able to complete his maiden double-hundred with a boundary through the covers off Ashley Cowan in the penultimate over of the evening.

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