A fine innings of 69 off 70 balls by Gary Ballance helped Yorkshire to post 239-6 in their Royal London One-Day Cup against Derbyshire at the County Ground.

In a match reduced to 42 overs-a-side which didn't begin until 3.30pm to help a wet area near the square dry out, Ballance triumphed over a slow wicket and outfield to guide his side to a score which Andrew Gale’s bowlers will probably fancy their chances of defending.

The highlight of Yorkshire’s innings was an 83-run fourth-wicket partnership between Ballance and Jack Leaning which took the visitors from a rather average 91-3 in the 21st over to 174-4 in the 35th.

With that firm foundation upon which to build, Ballance and Tim Bresnan put the Derbyshire attack to the sword in the closing overs of the innings with 36 runs coming off four overs before Bresnan was brilliantly caught by Alex Hughes at long on for 16 off Shiv Thakor.

Ballance fell in the next over when he miscued a slog-sweep and was caught at the wicket by Tom Poynton after an well-judged innings which had included just two fours and one splendid straight six off Alex Hughes.

Yorkshire’s later prosperity – 84 runs were scored off the final ten overs of the innings - was a far cry from the first hour or so of their innings when three batsmen had once again become established, only to lose their wickets.

Alex Lees mistimed a pull to mid-on when he had made 14, Glenn Maxwell clipped Alex Hughes to Mark Footitt when he had managed 16 and skipper Andrew Gale, having faced 59 balls for a useful 37, was leg before to the pacy Footitt in the 21st over.

Footitt and Thakor were the most successful Derbyshire bowlers with two wickets apiece but the game remains threatened by the light rain which was falling during the later stages of Yorkshire’s innings.