Gary Ballance hundred tees up declaration as Yorkshire close in

Yorkshire put themselves in a strong position to wrap up an emphatic victory against an under-manned Hampshire after another LV= County Championship day of dominance at the Ageas Bowl.

Starting the day on 37 for 1 - a lead of 114 runs - the visitors batted their dispirited opponents out of the game after declaring on 312 for 6 - setting a mammoth target of 392 for an unlikely victory.

Then Tykes then reduced the hosts to 26 for 2 before the close after Ben Coad had dismissed Ian Holland for 3 thanks to a one-handed diving slip catch by Harry Brook before Tom Alsop fell in the penultimate over of the day to Dom Bess to leave Hampshire 367 runs behind and needing to bat 96 overs to save the match.

Ground specialist Gary Ballance chalked up his sixth score of 100 or more at the venue and his first century of the season. The left-hander belted seven leg-side sixes on his way to an unbeaten 101 - taking his overall first-class total at Southampton to 1150 in 15 innings.

After losing attack leader Kyle Abbott late on day two with a foot injury that will keep him out of next week's clash with Warwickshire, Hampshire were further rocked by the absence of fellow pace spearhead Brad Wheal before play got underway. Wheal, who has enjoyed a breakout season, didn't take the field due to a knee problem.

Although Holland and Keith Barker were left to carry the load of the seam bowling and the spin of Mason Crane and Liam Dawson took up the rest of the slack, Yorkshire batsmen Tom Kohler-Cadmore and George Hill resisted any early temptation to cut loose with just 67 runs added before lunch in an uneventful session that saw no wickets fall.

It was a trend that continued until an hour after lunch when Hill edged Holland behind for 55, bringing Ballance to the crease with obvious orders from the dressing room to up the ante. The former England batter took no time in tucking in against a tired attack, hitting five sixes off Dawson on his way to his half-century.

Kohler-Cadmore also broke the shackles, hitting 18 off four Crane deliveries before finding the hands of Dawson at deep extra cover to be dismissed for a fine 89.

Ballance continued to tee off after tea, smashing two sixes off the part-time seam of James Vince after the Hampshire skipper had Harry Brook caught for 12 by Nick Gubbins.

Jordan Thompson, promoted up the order, put on a quickfire 59 with Ballance, before holing out for an entertaining 33 and Bess departed for a duck before Steve Patterson called his players in.