ANDREW Gale admits this summer could be his Yorkshire side’s best yet.

The reigning back-to-back champions are engaged in a thrilling blow for blow battle with leaders Middlesex for the Specsavers County Championship title.

There is just a one point gap between the two heading into the final fortnight of the season, which concludes with a potential winner takes all clash at Lord’s next Tuesday.

Both counties won their respective matches last week.

Yorkshire beat Durham at Headingley and Middlesex triumphed over Notts at Trent Bridge.

And today, Yorkshire face the third contender, Somerset, at Headingley.

Outsiders Somerset are 22 points off the top having beaten Warwickshire inside three days on a turning track at Taunton last week.

“We said at the start of the season 'if you're going to win three in a row, this is going to be your toughest year’,” said four-day captain Gale.

“Given how tight the division's been from top to bottom, you could have called this at halfway.

"If you come out on top at the end of it and win the Championship with it having been so close, you'll probably feel like you've achieved a lot more, like you do in the close games.

"It's sort of puts it in perspective how well we must have played last year because we'd already won the league by now.”

Gale, who described last week’s win over Durham as their best performance of the season, has also praised Middlesex’s resilience.

They were 0-3 in the first innings and 25-3 in the second against Notts at last week before winning by five wickets chasing 235.

"It would have been nice had Middlesex slipped up, but they're playing some good cricket. Everything is pointing to Lord’s,” he said.

"They'll be desperate to win it, but we're desperate to win three in a row.

“It doesn't look like the pressure is affecting them at the minute. They haven't slipped up, but we're playing some good cricket.

"We are just enjoying the challenge. I don't see us choking.

"2013 was the biggest lesson when we didn't win it and tried too hard to win it. We slipped up. Middlesex might be in that position and get too far ahead of themselves.

"When the end goal is in sight, you can go a bit harder at it and come unstuck.

“Hopefully the lessons we've learned in how to win it should stand us in good stead.

"We're playing some good cricket. Two big weeks. The lads are going to be doing everything they can to win the Championship.

"Somerset are playing good cricket, and they'll be coming here full of confidence. But it won't be a raging bunsen burner, that is for sure.

"I said last week that the home games are going to be key, and that's no different.

“If we get four days of good weather, we know how to perform on these pitches.

“We have a fantastic home record.

“Who knows what can happen. All we can do is keep winning our games.”

Middlesex travel to Emirates Old Trafford to face Lancashire today on what is expected to be a flat pitch given a draw suits the hosts in their battle against relegation.

Yorkshire squad v Somerset: Gale c, Ballance, Bresnan, Brooks, Hodd w, Lees, Lehmann, Lyth, Patterson, Plunkett, Rashid, Sidebottom, Willey.