Yorkshire’s youngest skipper revels in the responsibility as Andrew Gale tells The Press’ Yorkshire County Cricket Club reporter GRAHAM HARDCASTLE.

THE final week of the most recent county cricket season may not have gone quite to plan as far as Yorkshire were concerned, but Andrew Gale’s side have received plenty of praise ever since September 16.

The likes of Jacques Rudolph, Adil Rashid, Adam Lyth, Jonny Bairstow – to be fair, you could name the vast majority of the squad – all enhanced their reputations ten-fold.

But, arguably, none more so than Gale, who was appointed as the county’s youngest ever professional captain at the age of 26 when he replaced Anthony McGrath last December.

Gale may not have topped the run-scoring charts in the County Championship last term, with four of his team-mates pipping him to that honour, but it was the start to his leadership tenure that got tongues wagging.

Although he will take the slaps on the backs and rave reviews from team-mates, supporters, commentators and writers, the most important people to talk about him were the England selectors.

He captained the England Lions before he did Yorkshire – and, as a result, the left-handed batsman is now on the verge of playing full international cricket.

In just under a fortnight’s time, he will travel with the ECB Performance Programme squad to Queensland in Australia, where he and some of the country’s brightest prospects – York-based ace Bairstow included – will act as back-up to the full Ashes squad.

This is one career that is very much on the up.

But, as the affable Dewsbury-born Gale explained, things could have been very different for him not so long ago.

Having made his debut in 2004, he had to wait two years to score a maiden first team hundred against Warwickshire at Scarborough in 2006.

Even that did not guarantee the former England under-19s man a prolonged run in the side.

“Two games after I scored my first hundred, I was out of the team and hardly played the rest of the season,” he said.

“If that was now, I’m sure that if one of our young lads comes in and gets a big 150, the chances are that they’re going to play for the rest of the season and get a decent run in the side.

“But I didn’t get the opportunities that I wanted. I scored 1,000 runs in the second team, which is really unheard of.

“It was a frustrating time, and I did think about moving counties because the door seemed to be closed in the first team.

“I started to have a few words with people and ask whether the best thing for my career would be to look elsewhere. Luckily that time in the second team made me a stronger character.”

Gale’s character is what has shone through the most in 2010, whether it be dealing with his game or dealing with his players.

He would not be afraid to give a player a rocket if they were not pulling their weight, while he often showed a softer side by putting an arm around the excitable Tino Best when he needed a bit of encouragement.

A brilliant 151 on a testing track in the penultimate week of the season against eventual four day champions Nottinghamshire when the match was on a knife-edge proved that Gale is one tough cookie.

He said: “I’m not afraid to admit that I’m not the most talented of cricketers.

“When you look around the Yorkshire dressing rooms at the Bairstows and Lyths, I see them coming through and they’ve got a lot more talent than me.

“But I know that if I can work hard enough, it’s not all about talent because quite a lot of the game is played in the head as well.”

Yorkshire finished the season knowing that three more wins would have seen them claiming the Championship and Clydesdale Bank 40 double, despite being tipped to be the worst team in the country by the bookmakers.

They were beaten by Warwickshire in the CB40 semi-final and lost to Kent in the last Championship match.

But it will be completely different next season, and there will be many expecting them to be up there challenging again.

Gale, however, is under no illusions that 2011 may not be plain sailing.

“Luckily last season went really well for us, but I’m sure next year will be even harder,” he commented. “But I’m mentally strong enough to know how to deal with those times when they come around.”

Gale was well aware that his appointment was a gamble from the club’s hierarchy, but it is one that has so far looked like a masterstroke.

And, having led the Lions at home and abroad, it is understandable that one train of thought would lead you to believe he could be a replacement for Andrew Strauss at some point in the future.

“It’s nice that people are saying that about me,” he said.

“When you look at the individuals Andy Flower has got in his team now, he seems to like people who have got a good character. He seems to have moulded that, and I’d like to think I’m the type of character who fits that mould.

“I know the selectors have said I’m the sort of guy they want in their team.

“But I’ve not got to take my eye off the ball and think about England because I’ve got to keep stacking up the runs for Yorkshire. If there is an injury or someone drops out of form, I’ve got to make sure I’m the next in line.”

Playing for, and captaining, England is obviously the pinnacle for any player.

But White Rose fans can rest assured they will still be seeing plenty more of their leader in the years to come.

“I’m passionate about Yorkshire cricket, and I want to win games and trophies for this club,” he added.

Let us hope that happens during Gale’s second season in charge.