CENTURY-maker Gary Ballance is battling hard to help Yorkshire recover from losing five wickets for 42 runs during the early stages of the opening afternoon against Hampshire at Headingley.

The Yorkshire skipper, who was 102 not out at tea, had seen his side slip from 110-2 to 152-7 before underpinning a recovery with the help of Steve Patterson.

The eighth-wicket pair shared 79 unbroken to take the score to 231-7 from 64 overs at the interval.

Fidel Edwards and Kyle Abbott, Hampshire's ex-Test match seamers, equally shared four of the five afternoon wickets to fall.

Edwards bowled Peter Handscomb for 25 and Tim Bresnan for a duck, while Gareth Berg trapped Jack Leaning lbw (7) before Abbott had Andrew Hodd caught at second slip for a duck and bowled Azeem Rafiq (6).

Patterson began the evening session on 22 not out.