PROFILE

Yorkshire’s youngest ever professional captain when appointed at the age of 26 in December 2009, Andrew Gale is a vital part of the county’s batting unit - whether it be in the middle order in four-day cricket or against the new ball in the limited overs arena.

The bullish left-hander - one decent knock away from 5,000 first-class career runs ahead of 2013 - came through the Academy at Headingley and played international age-group cricket from under 15s to under 19s.

A highly-respected leader who has also skippered the England Lions, his rein as county captain has not been without incident.

He came within a whisker of leading his troops to LV= County Championship glory in his first season in charge - 2010 - before relegation struck the following season.

He did, however, ensure his players responded in the best possible way by leading them to promotion from Division Two in 2012 as well as to the Friends Life t20 final and to the prestigious Champions League event in South Africa.

Gale, the co-founder of the ProCoach Cricket Academy with ex-Tyke Chris Taylor, has 12 first-class hundreds under his belt. Ahead of the 2013 campaign, he is the county’s leading run-scorer in the history of Twenty20 cricket with 1,780 from 79 matches, including 14 fifties.

He started out in league cricket at Gomersal as an eight-year-old, and has also played for Driffield and Bradford League side Cleckheaton, the club he calls home. 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2002 - After playing for Yorkshire’s Academy and England under 17s in the two years previous, Gale made his second XI bow against Durham at Chester-le-Street in April. Scored an unbeaten 164 versus Leicestershire seconds in August. 

2003 - Played at iconic venues such as the MCG and SCG whilst touring Australia with England under 19s in February. Made a total of nine international appearances for them at that level.

2004 - Debuted for Yorkshire’s first team in all three formats of the game, including Championship bow against Somerset at Scarborough in July. He scored nought and nine as an opener.

2006 - In only his seventh Championship appearance, against Warwickshire at Scarborough, 149 off  208 balls from number six signaled a maiden first-class ton and contributed to a thumping Yorkshire win.

2008 - Scored three Championship hundreds in the season, including 150 and 136 in draws against Surrey at the Oval in May and against Roses rivals Lancashire at Old Trafford in August. Awarded his county cap in September.

2009 - Smashed a Twenty20 career best 91 off 55 balls in a win against Notts at Headingley in June before posting 274 runs in three successive Championship innings against Nottinghamshire (99) and Lancashire (54 and 121) the following month on the way to 900 plus runs for the season. Captained England Performance Programme team on winter tour of South Africa in early December before succeeding Anthony McGrath as Yorkshire captain later that month.

2010 - Led England Lions to a notable Twenty20 win over England full side ahead of the latter’s series against Pakistan in the UAE in February, and made a stunning start to life as Yorkshire’s captain with a maiden 40-over ton in a record-breaking win against Essex at Chelmsford in April. Had the knack of making a series of successful bowling changes early that summer, but just missed out on Championship glory during the season’s final day having scored a magnificent career best 151 not out during a memorable win over eventual champions Notts in early September. 

2011 - After another winter tour with the Lions, this time to the Caribbean, he missed the latter stages of the summer with a broken arm as Yorkshire were relegated.

2012 - Injury struck again midway through the season with a hip problem, but he returned to help lead his side into the t20 final at Cardiff in August, to Championship promotion in September and to the Champions League in October. Described a qualifying win over T&T in South Africa as one of the highlights of his career.