GARY Ballance moved to within two runs of his first hundred since early April yesterday as Yorkshire enjoyed a commanding opening day of their LV= County Championship match against Sussex at Hove.

The 25-year-old’s unbeaten 98 off 191 balls proved the standout score of the county’s 346-6 from 96 overs after they had won the toss and slipped to 22-2.

A win here would take Yorkshire to within touching distance of back-to-back Championship titles.

A loss for second-placed Middlesex in their current match at Durham could even give Andrew Gale’s side a chance to clinch the crown during their next match against Somerset at Headingley.

Yorkshire did not have things all their own way on a sluggish surface, with their former all-rounder Ollie Robinson and England’s Chris Jordan taking three wickets apiece.

After the early departures of Andrew Hodd and Jack Leaning, caught behind against Robinson and superbly caught and bowled one-handed by Jordan, Yorkshire recovered superbly.

Opener Alex Lees made a polished 69 before chopping Robinson onto his leg bail during the afternoon.

He had shared 88 for the third wicket with Gale, who made 39 before being adjudged lbw to Jordan shortly lunch.

The highest partnership of the day came between Ballance and Tim Bresnan (44no). They shared an unbroken 94 inside 26 overs for the seventh wicket during the evening.

"We're very happy," said coach Jason Gillespie. "After being 22-2 to finish on 346-6 is really pleasing.

“There were a couple of really good partnerships, particularly from the two at the end there, Gary and Tim. They summed up the situation well and adapted.”

There will be some frustration in the Yorkshire camp that the likes of Lees, Gale and Glenn Maxwell for 43 got starts and failed to take advantage. But at least Ballance did.

This was his highest score since hitting 122 for England against the West Indies in the first Test of the away series at Antigua in mid-April.

He has since been dropped from England’s Ashes team after playing the first two Tests at Cardiff and Lord’s amidst criticism of his back foot technique.

“Gaz is a quality player and showed his class out there on a pitch that is denting a bit,” added Gillespie. “It's a bit two-paced. I thought they bowled quite well, Sussex.

"I don't think he's doing a lot differently (in terms of his technique). He was disappointed to miss out for England, but all he can do is come back and score big runs.

"It hurt Gaz to be left out. It's a dream to represent England. He's been disappointed to be left out, but all he can do is just keep banging on that door.”

Meanwhile, Aaron Finch is ineligible for Thursday’s Royal London one-day Cup quarter-final against Essex at Chelmsford as Yorkshire say rules dictate that overseas players must play in the group stages to be eligible for knockout rounds.

Finch returned home to Australia after suffering a foot injury during the latter stages of last month’s Twenty20 campaign.

But he has since recovered and returned to Yorkshire to complete the season as their overseas player having been left out of Australia’s limited overs squad for their forthcoming series in England.