Gary Ballance has picked up this season where he left the last one having scored a hundred on day two of Yorkshire’s three-day friendly against Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities.

The stand-in skipper finished last season like a house on fire with two hundreds in the match against Surrey at the Oval, sealing his place in England’s winter Ashes squad as a result.

He played the final Test of the series against Australia at Sydney, and is hoping to retain his spot for this summer’s series against Sri Lanka, which involves a Test match at Headingley.

He followed Adam Lyth to a century on day two of this first-class fixture during the afternoon session as Yorkshire, replying to 139, reached 328-4 at tea.

Lyth and Ballance both fell in the afternoon for 130 and 101 respectively. They shared 149 for the third wicket.

Lyth was caught at short fine-leg sweeping at off-spinner Andy Laws before Ballance was bowled by opposite number Will Vanderspar’s medium pace in the last over of the session.

Jonny Bairstow has reached tea unbeaten on 29.