Joe Root was caught behind down the leg-side for 41 as Gary Ballance’s polished 91 not out led a commanding Yorkshire response to Kent’s 305 on day two at Emerald Headingley.
Well set Root fell to on-loan Essex seamer Matt Quinn nine balls after tea.
He shared a serene third-wicket partnership of 83 inside 21 overs with former England colleague Ballance, who underpinned Yorkshire’s 240 for five from 77 overs at close.
In what is expected to be his penultimate LV= Insurance County Championship fixture before England’s June series with New Zealand, Test captain Root fell to an Aucklander.
Kent added 81 to their overnight 224 for seven.
Marcus O’Riordan and West Indian seamer Miguel Cummins – 40 and 28 not out – put on 60 in an entertaining ninth-wicket partnership.
Cummins whacked two leg-side sixes in a Steve Patterson over. The second, over long-on, cleared the stands.
Jordan Thompson, Duanne Olivier and Dom Bess struck to wrap up the Kent innings and leave Yorkshire with 15 minutes of batting before lunch.
Having been dropped at point on one by Joe Denly off Darren Stevens, Adam Lyth clipped the same bowler over midwicket for six early in the afternoon.
But Stevens got his revenge when Lyth attempted to go over the top again and found mid-on for 23.
Yorkshire’s 39 for one in the 16th over became 48 for two five overs later when threatening seamer Nathan Gilchrist forced struggling Tom Kohler-Cadmore to play on for 14.
Ballance pulled and cut successive Cummins no balls for six and a four during the second half of the afternoon, and Root was busy throughout his 69-ball innings with five fours.
The pair were in total control against a Kent attack missing injured pacemen Harry Podmore, Matt Milnes and Grant Stewart.
It was no surprise that it took a slice of fortune for debutant Quinn to dismiss Root on a slow pitch.
Ballance reached his fifty off 89 balls whilst in partnership with Harry Brook for the fourth wicket, with their equally peaceful alliance amounting to 102 inside 31 overs.
Brook added his fourth half-century of 2021 off 65 balls before falling lbw to Gilchrist shortly before close. Denly also trapped Jonny Tattersall lbw as Yorkshire fell to 236 for five.Following illness and injury, Ballance, who has hit 13 fours and a six in 185 balls, could now secure his first century since July 2019.
Yorkshire batsman Gary Ballance said:
“Both Joe and Harry were really positive and scored quickly, as they always do. It was quite nice sitting up the other end watching them play nice shots whilst I nurdled it around!
“That’s what we talk about – try to bat in partnerships. So it’s a good feeling today.
“It looks like the weather will play a part. But we can’t control that. You never know, we might get a bit of cricket in tomorrow. We just have to get a first-innings lead and see where that takes us.”
Kent spinner Marcus O’Riordan said:
“We’re pretty happy. The seamers bowled really consistently, and we got our rewards. Those late wickets have given us a sniff with the new ball coming up tomorrow morning. That’s a time where we can make a move. To sneak a lead would be nice.
“Matt Walker spoke to us before the game, particularly about Alan (Igglesden), saying that he’d be here today. That gave us a bit more perspective about what it means to play for Kent.”