Warwickshire v Yorkshire - County Championship - Yorkshire start Gale era with promise

Yorkshire's new captain promised his young team would "fight tooth and nail for the White Rose" and here was tangible proof of the truth of that statement.

At 123-5 chasing 291 for victory, some sides would have crumbled and crashed to defeat.

But although Gale's men are a long way short of the finished article – as proved at various stages of a fluctuating game – they are unquestionably made of resolute stuff.

No one epitomised that more than Jonathan Bairstow and Jacques Rudolph, who came together when Gale himself was dismissed for a duck to help Yorkshire home with a sixth-wicket partnership of 153 in just 27 overs.

Bairstow top-scored with 81 – three short of his first-class best – and Rudolph contributed a stylish, unbeaten 69 to settle a hitherto nip-and-tuck affair.

Bairstow, in particular, showed great strength of character.

After dropping two catches behind the stumps which might have proved costly in a low-scoring contest, he did not dwell on those disappointments but set about making amends with steely determination.

There were 14 fours in his 104-ball innings – ended when he was well-caught at mid-on trying for another boundary – and one will not see many more accomplished displays under pressure from a 20-year-old.

Rudolph, who seemingly churns out runs with the consistency that cows churn out milk, displayed trademark artistry to follow his first innings 75.

One late-cut for four off the leg-spinner Imran Tahir will live in the memory, the stroke bearing the unmistakable imprint of quality.

Warwickshire, for their part, were left to rue a missed opportunity and the failings of a bowling attack that does not inspire terror at this level.

Although Imran and Neil Carter caused Yorkshire problems, the much-vaunted Chris Woakes looked decidedly ordinary, while Andrew Miller is a rookie seam bowler with much to learn.

None of which detracted from Yorkshire's achievement on a sporting pitch, which represented the stuff of dreams for Gale.

"I might retire now," he quipped. "It couldn't have gone much better from my point of view. We showed tremendous fighting spirit and the lads will take a lot from the win.

"People have been writing us off all winter, saying we were favourites to go down, but I've always said we'll use that in our favour.

"If anything, it will make us more determined. At the same time, it's only one game and we can't get carried away.

"We won our opening match a couple of years ago and were fighting relegation by the end of the season, so we're not going to get ahead of ourselves."

Gale was particularly delighted with the way Bairstow and Rudolph took the attack to Warwickshire after Yorkshire stumbled into lunch on 130-5.

The pair scored at five-an-over to seal a game that was a compelling advert for the Championship.

"Imran Tahir and Carter bowled well before lunch but we had a chat at the interval and felt that if we were positive we could get something out of the match," added Gale.

"The message to the batsmen was to go out and play their shots, which is exactly what Jonny and Jacques did. Everyone knows what Jacques can do, while Jonny is very hard to stop scoring when he's in that sort of mood. To go out and play like he did shows what sort of character he is."

Martyn Moxon, Yorkshire's director of professional cricket, was similarly proud of a gutsy performance.

"The lads were tested and the fact they came through that test makes it particularly pleasing," he remarked. "They showed great determination. You dream of winning your first game because it gives you a lot of confidence.

"Not many teams knock off 290 in the fourth innings and to be involved in a really good game of cricket makes it doubly special."

Moxon described Bairstow's and Rudolph's partnership as a joy to behold.

"You won't see anything better than that," he added. "They took the initiative away from Warwickshire with some outstanding shot selection.

"We should also remember Adam Lyth's performance. If we'd lost early wickets to the new-ball it would have been tough to get 290, but Adam's 67 was superb."

Lyth gave Yorkshire a solid platform after they resumed on 57-1 on day four. A century beckoned when he was unluckily given out caught down the leg-side off Carter.

Nightwatchman Ajmal Shahzad and Anthony McGrath fell leg-before to Carter and Imran Tahir respectively, while Gale was caught at slip off Imran.

But just when Yorkshire's goose looked cooked, Bairstow and Rudolph stood up to be counted.