Gary Ballance hailed Yorkshire’s late evening bowling display as Jack Brooks and Tim Bresnan led the fightback from being bowled out for 184 on day one against Hampshire at Emerald Headingley.

Hampshire closed day one on 79-5 to start this penultimate round Specsavers County Championship match.

Brooks and Bresnan struck twice apiece after Yorkshire were put under early pressure by Fidel Edwards, who claimed four wickets.

Ballance hit a fluent 30 and went beyond 10,000 first-class career runs.

Seventeen overs were lost to rain and bad light.

He said: "It was a typical Headingley day.

“It seamed around all day, so it wasn't easy to bat. They bowled well and then we bowled well. It was nice to pick up five wickets. It was a good fightback.

"It wasn't easy as a batter - you never felt in. There was always a good ball in there.

"We scrapped to 180 odd. It would have been nice to get a few more, but to get them five down was good.”

Assuming Worcester, bowled out for 94 on day one at Essex, lose that game, they would be relegated, and Yorkshire would need only a maximum of nine points from the last two games to relegate Lancashire.

"You try and not take too much notice of the other scores and just worry about what we have to do. But it's hard not to look,” said Ballance.

"We know what's happening around the country, and we know what we need to do. Hopefully we can do it this week.

On his 10,000 runs milestone, he added: “I always want to contribute and perform for the team.

“It's nice to get a milestone like that, but the main thing is the team. I've got to keep working hard, and hopefully I can keep doing that over a long period of time."