Yorkshire v Durham: Team news - Ballance returns to selection mix

Jonny Bairstow is also named in Jason Gillespie’s squad after his exploits with England over the summer.

With Ballance, Bairstow and new overseas signing Kane Williamson all in contention, Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale acknowledges he has a difficult selection dilemma on his hands.

“Gary is in a rich vein of form with the bat,” said Gale of the Zimbabwe-born middle-order batsman.

“We have Kane Williamson, our new overseas player, establishing himself in the squad and Jonny Bairstow is also available for the second successive match.

“That is the beauty of having a talented squad with everyone playing their part. It will be a difficult decision to leave someone out. The pressure will be on the players to perform and try and retain their place in the team.”

Yorkshire 14-man squad to face Durham at Scarborough is: Bairstow, Ballance, Jack Brooks, Gale, Andrew Hodd, Phil Jaques, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth, Steven Patterson, Liam Plunkett, Richard Pyrah, Adil Rashid, Ryan Sidebottom, Williamson.

The starting XI will be named before the toss on Wednesday.

The four-day LV County Championship match is the highpoint of the week’s Scarborough Festival.

Gale added: “It is always a great venue to play at and we have had some positive results at the ground in recent times.

“With it being Festival week, there will be a big crowd and with the added incentive of playing Durham, who are in second place, it will be extra special.

“The boys are very excited and it should be a terrific game.”