JASON Gillespie wants Yorkshire’s batting to be more 2014 than 2015 this summer as they aim for a third successive Specsavers County Championship title.

The county’s coach has targeted improved consistency with the willow as a way of strengthening their grip on the Division One crown.

Gillespie is delighted with his bowlers’ efforts last year, describing them as “top-rate”, but he believes even they can be better, which is an ominous sign for the rest of a strong Division One.

Yorkshire start their Championship campaign against Hampshire at Headingley a week tomorrow, but they face a three-day friendly against Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities there on Monday.

Gary Ballance should play, but Jonny Bairstow will only play for the first two days due to a prior commitment.

England’s World Twenty20 quartet Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root and David Willey will all be rested, but all bar Root will be available to face Hampshire: “Whether they all get in is a different matter,” said the coach at today’s annual media day.

On the subject of improvements ahead of this summer, he admitted: “If we can get a bit more consistency throughout our batting order, that’s something we should aim for.

“In 2014 when we won, we had a lot of consistent performers throughout our batting order. But last year, while we had a lot of performers, we managed to score runs in a different way.

“There were a lot more individual contributions.

“We got ourselves in tricky situations and got a big partnership.

“I use the example of the game against Durham at Scarborough (August).

“We found ourselves 79 runs in front with only five wickets in hand in our second innings and then (Adil) Rashid and (Glenn) Maxwell came in and put on 250 in no time, just over a session, to change the whole momentum of the game.

“Jonny Bairstow came in and smacked run-a-ball hundreds to change the momentum of games. We just did it in different ways.

“The lads have been very forthright in talking of ways we can get better. We tick off the partnerships. When we do bat well, we bat big.

“If we can get five or six significant partnerships in the innings, that can get us up to that 400-run mark.

“From a bowling point of view, I think our bowling has been top-rate. But the lads still feel there are ways they can get better.

“We need to keep putting the pressure on and being ruthless with our lines and lengths. Just hang in there and force those mistakes of opposition batsmen. Hopefully that can equate to an improved wicket tally.”

The Leeds/Bradford clash is not a first-class fixture, although they will prove good opposition for Yorkshire having enjoyed periods of success in recent draws against Warwickshire and Sussex.

Moin Ashraf leads a trio of former Yorkshire players in their squad alongside Billy Root and Alex Lilley.

“We’re looking forward to going out there and having a good game against the students,” added Gillespie. “We’ll certainly be treating it as a first-class fixture and going out and playing the best cricket we possibly can.”