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Gary Ballance finished the day on 98 not out as Yorkshire reached 346-6

Gary Ballance was in fine form for Yorkshire at Hove
Image: Gary Ballance was in fine form for Yorkshire at Hove

England man Gary Ballance played the key innings as County Championship leaders Yorkshire reached 346-6 at stumps on day one of their clash with Sussex at Hove.

Ballance was dropped from the England side after the second Ashes Test but is hopeful of a recall at some point and bolstered his case by putting together an unbeaten 98 while the England top order were collapsing at The Oval.

Another England man, Chris Jordan, had a good day with the ball for Sussex, taking 3-67 as his comeback from injury gathers pace.

Yorkshire chose to bat first but slipped to 22-2 as Andy Hodd (11) and Jack Leaning (0) fell cheaply, the latter brilliantly caught and bowled by Jordan.

However, Alex Lees and skipper Andrew Gale salvaged the situation with a third-wicket stand of 88.

Gale was then trapped in front by Jordan for 39 and Lees somewhat unluckily played on to Oliver Robinson (also 3-67) after a fine 69.

That made it 134-4 but Yorkshire consolidated with Ballance at the crease, the left-hander adding 69 for the fifth wicket with hard-hitting Aussie Glenn Maxwell (43).

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Adil Rashid only managed seven runs but hung around to add 49 with Ballance for the sixth-wicket, and Tim Bresnan (44 not out) then proved a very able ally during the final stages of the day.

The duo have put on an unbroken 94 for the seventh wicket so far and Ballance finished the day two runs short of a century, having faced 191 balls so far, hitting 11 fours and a six.

Image: Nick Compton battled hard for Middlesex at Chester-le-Street

At Chester-Le-Street, second-placed Middlesex finished a rain-shortened day on 141-5 as Graham Onions took four wickets for Durham.

But Nick Compton, a former England man like Onions, ensured Middlesex were not skittled out with a fine innings of 71.

Middlesex were put in on an overcast morning and, after an early rain interruption, Onions (4-40) got to work.

Paul Stirling (three) was caught at first slip by Paul Collingwood, Sam Robson (14) lost his middle stump to an inswinger and Onions completed a spell of 3-2 in nine balls when he trapped in-form left-hander Dawid Malan lbw for a three-ball duck.

Middlesex were 18-3 at that point but Compton then dominated stands of 54 with James Franklin (16) and 66 with Neil Dexter (23 not out).

Franklin fell straight after lunch when he edged Onions to Collingwood but Compton continued to thrive before his 128-ball knock, which featured nine boundaries, finally ended when he gloved a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Michael Richardson as he tried to pull against John Hastings.

That made it 138-5 and the rain arrived again soon afterwards, curtailing play for the day after 47.3 overs.

Alex Hales of Nottinghamshire
Image: Alex Hales made a majestic 189 for Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge

Nottinghamshire enjoyed a good first day against Warwickshire at Trent Bridge, Alex Hales and Steven Mullaney both making centuries.

The duo put on 257 for the second wicket and, having been put in to bat, the hosts were 404-5 at the close of play.

Hales offered a chance to Ian Westwood at point when he had made just 12 but the Warwickshire man could not hold on to the tricky opportunity one-handed and the England one-day opener went on to make an imperious 189 from 216 balls, with 28 fours and two sixes.

He was eventually bowled by Chris Wright, having made the second highest score of his career and passed 1,000 first class runs for the season.

Mullaney also impressed, his first championship ton of the summer coming from 145 balls with 13 fours, and he reached 112 before falling to Keith Barker, Jeetan Patel taking a sharp catch at slip.

Warwickshire did manage to take a couple of wickets towards the close of play as Boyd Rankin (2-69) had James Taylor (29) caught behind and William Porterfield held on to a nick to remove Riki Wessels (15) from the bowling of Rikki Clarke.

Somerset are 349-5 at stumps on day one of their match against Worcestershire at Taunton, James Hildreth (133 not out) having made his fourth first class century of the season.

The visitors opted to bowl first and landed an early blow when Jack Shantry (2-59) trapped Johann Myburgh lbw for a duck.

That made it 8-1 but Marcus Trescothick (85) and Tom Cooper (57) added 108 for the second wicket before the latter edged Joe Leach (2-91) to Alex Gidman at first slip just after lunch.

Skipper Trescothick was batting carefully at the other end though and the former England opener passed 23,000 first class runs for his career in the morning, going on to reach 85 from 175 balls and add 93 for the third wicket with Hildreth before he was bowled by Brett D'Oliveira.

And Hildreth and Jim Allenby then put together the biggest stand of the day, the duo adding 122 for the fourth wicket, and Hildreth reaching a classy century from 143 balls.

Allenby (50) and Jack Leach (bowled by Joe Leach for five) departed just before stumps but Hildreth remained unbeaten at the close, having hit 21 boundaries.

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