Kent v Yorkshire: Gale leads from the front to see off poor Kent

Yesterday he put those words into action.

Among Rudolph’s attributes was an ability to anchor the innings in one-day games.

The South African would open the batting, invariably score big and allow other players to work around him.

Gale, in contrast, has been something of a dasher – a man who complemented Rudolph’s obduracy.

The Yorkshire captain preferred to pummel a six rather than push a single, terrorising bowlers more than tiring them down.

Gale remains a terroriser of bowling but is now endeavouring to rein himself in.

The policy worked a treat at the St Lawrence ground, where his 112 was Rudolph-esque in its controlled aggression and helped his side to a 93-run victory.

Gale’s innings – made from 114 balls with 11 fours and two sixes – led Yorkshire to 254-7 after he won the toss.

The other notable contribution was Joe Root’s 43, the pair adding 124 for the third-wicket in 21 overs.

Faced with a testing target, Kent lost regular wickets and subsided meekly.

Darren Stevens top-scored with 39 as they were dismissed for 161 with 50 balls of their innings remaining, Adil Rashid taking 3-30.

Following defeats to Netherlands and Derbyshire in their opening two games, Yorkshire sorely needed to win this match.

Last year’s semi-finalists won at least nine of their 12 group fixtures, meaning there is precious little margin for error.

Yorkshire’s failure to get off the mark in the competition before yesterday was mainly due to the failings of their batting.

But the contributions of Gale and Root, backed up by 20s from Gerard Brophy and Jonathan Bairstow, ensured Yorkshire prospered in prime conditions.

Fresh from his 205 against Nottinghamshire in the Championship, Bairstow was promoted to open the innings with Gale.

His knock yesterday was like an English summer – good while it lasted, but over in a hurry.

The 21-year-old thrashed 26 from 19 balls before falling to a diving catch at mid-off by Darren Stevens off Adam Ball, the fielder seeming to hang in the hair as he claimed the ball at full stretch to his left.

Bairstow’s cameo included four boundaries – an on-driven four off Ball, a pulled six towards the Colin Cowdrey Stand off Azhar Mahmood, plus a cut for four and a flick through backward square-leg for four as Mahmood erred in line and length.

Bairstow also found time to be dropped on 26 – although Mahmood would have required superb reflexes to have poached a fierce return catch.

After removing Bairstow with the last ball of the fourth over, Ball struck again with the first ball of his next over when Adam Lyth edged to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones for a golden duck.

But Gale and Root gave the innings solidity as they played with skill, style and self-control.

Root, who came within five runs of a maiden first-class hundred against Nottinghamshire, continued his good form against a team who opened their CB40 campaign with a defeat to Worcestershire and a win over Middlesex.

He worked the ball around intelligently as Kent struggled to counter the left-hand, right-hand combination.

But Root would have been annoyed with his dismissal, which left Yorkshire 164-3 in the 28th over.

One ball after Gale was almost bowled trying to reverse-sweep James Tredwell, the pair scampering a bye, Root tried the same shot and was caught at point, ending a 57-ball innings that included four fours.

Brophy added 57 with his captain – shrugging off the shock of being hit on the helmet by a delivery from Matt Coles early in his innings.

Brophy was temporarily stunned by the blow and needed a time to compose himself before continuing.

After Gale completed a 106-ball century, pulling Coles for four through mid-on, Brophy went lbw trying to strike Mahmood across the line.

Tim Bresnan – making his first appearance of the summer at the expense of Joe Sayers – was bowled by a fine yorker from Coles, Yorkshire slipping to 238-6 when Gale was run-out attempting a third after flicking Ball to deep mid-wicket.

Moments later, Rich Pyrah hobbled off after twisting his right knee when his studs got caught in the turf as he negotiated a delivery from Coles.

It was a bizarre injury and Pyrah – as tough and resolute as they come – looked in some pain as he had to be led from the field by Yorkshire physiotherapist Scot McAllister.

Ajmal Shahzad then picked out long-on in the final over of the Yorkshire innings, Ball and Mahmood finishing with two wickets apiece.

Kent’s reply began disastrously when Ryan Sidebottom struck with successive balls in the third over, having Sam Northeast caught behind and Martin van Jaarsveld smartly taken at third-man.

Bresnan had Rob Key caught at mid-wicket, Alex Blake somehow edged behind a half-tracker from Rashid, who then bowled Stevens to leave Kent 101-5 in the 22nd over.

There was no way back from there and Yorkshire made simple work of the tail.