Ruthless streak is the only missing X-factor for Yorkshire (From York Press)

Ruthless streak is the only missing X-factor for Yorkshire

10:51am Tuesday 1st May 2012 in Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Andrew Gale is convinced there is far more to come from his Yorkshire team as they look to close the gap on the leading pack in the LV= County Championship second division when Leicestershire visit Scarborough tomorrow.

Although it is a long way from panic stations for the White Rose county, their failure to win any of their opening three matches has left them closer to the bottom of the County Championship’s second tier than the top.

Inclement weather has played its part, as has the fact that they have played one fixture less than two of the top three sides.

But so has inconsistency with bat, ball and in the field during the first month of 2012.

And skipper Gale: “I think we’re probably only playing to 70 or 80 per cent of our ability at the moment.

“The disappointing thing for me is that we’ve got ourselves in positions to take the game away from opponents, as we did last year. But we have to find a way of getting through those tough periods of play.

“We need to be more ruthless. We keep addressing it, and hopefully it will start to sink in.”

Gale, Jason Gillespie and Martyn Moxon have all talked about the topic of being more ruthless this season, something which could do with being addressed sooner rather than later.

There has been a recent precedent set for a slow start in division two yet still clinching promotion, with Surrey only winning one of their first six matches last season and finishing second behind Middlesex.

Gale added: “It would have been nice to have got a win under our belts already.

“Most of the other counties, three or four anyway, have already got a win in the second division. But, if we can get some good weather, then I think a victory is just around the corner.

“We’ve got a good record at Scarborough. All the lads love it there because the pitch suits our style.”

Tim Bresnan plays the second of two matches scheduled ahead of England’s three-Test series against the West Indies, which starts on May 17 at Lord’s.