Gutted Gale confident Yorkshire will finish job

Gale was penalised for verbally abusing Lancashire’s South African batsman Ashwell Prince late on during the third day of play of Yorkshire’s Division One win by an innings and 18 runs at Old Trafford this week.

Lancashire accepted an apology from Gale, but he was still 
reported by match umpires Steve Garratt and Steve O’Shaughnessy for a Level Two breach of the code: using language or gesture that is obscene or of a serious insulting nature to another player, umpire, referee, team official or spectator.

As it was Gale’s second offence of the campaign – he showed dissent at being given out by umpire Peter Willey during the Roses game at Headingley – he was handed an automatic two-match ban under the ECB’s totting-up process.

With no appeal planned by Yorkshire, it rules him out of the county’s last two four-day matches of the 
2014-15 season, against second-placed Nottinghamshire – which starts at Trent Bridge on Tuesday – and at home to Somerset on September 23.

Yesterday morning, Gale told his followers on Twitter: “Words cannot describe how gutted I am to be missing the last two games but live by the sword die by the sword.

“I’ve worked all of my career to get my hands on that little trophy and I’m confident in the boys that they will get the job done.”

Joe Root is likely to captain the side in Gale’s absence should he be released, as Yorkshire hope, by the ECB following the end of England’s limited overs games against India.

Yorkshire’s last trophy success was in 2002 when they won the C&G Trophy at Lord’s, 12 months after clinching the County Championship Division One title under then captain David Byas.