GARY Ballance and Tim Bresnan have all but navigated Yorkshire towards safety in their Specsavers County Championship Division One match at the Ageas Bowl.

Ballance and his sixth-wicket partner have shared an unbroken 83 inside 40 overs to take Yorkshire to tea at 345-5, a lead of 121 with 37 overs remaining.

Ballance, the first man to score two hundreds in a first-class match as Yorkshire captain, has gone to tea unbeaten on 164.

Bresnan, dropped on ten and 14 in the slips shortly after lunch, has advanced to 31 not out.