ANDREW GALE labelled Yorkshire’s final day performance against Hampshire as “a bit sloppy and a bit soft” after securing a draw at Headingley yesterday.

It is probably going a bit far to suggest the champions escaped from their opening round Specsavers County Championship match with a stalemate, but there was definitely a time when Hampshire kicked the door ajar.

Having gained a first-innings lead of 140 during the opening hour of the day, Yorkshire then slipped to 43-4 in their second innings.

They were 183 runs ahead with 70.4 overs remaining in the day.

Thankfully for Yorkshire, Gale contributed 46 to a crucial partnership of 73 inside 27 overs with Jack Leaning for the fifth wicket.

Their alliance proved to be the standout contribution to a close of play 183-8 and an unassailable lead of 323.

"If this game has taught us anything, it's that you can't afford to slack off for a couple of sessions against any team in this division - so we'll have to make sure we're really on it,” said the captain.

"I didn't feel we slacked off on the third day; I just felt we weren't at our best. Today (day four), I thought we were just a bit sloppy and a bit soft.

"That's not a sign of the cricket we'd like to play. We've flagged it up, and it won't happen again.

"The first two days, we dominated. The last two, a lot of credit has to go to Hampshire.

"But I thought from a bowling point of view, we were a little bit short and a little bit wide at times. Second innings, we just weren't quite on it with the bat.

"We just expected to get a draw, and in the end, we came out of it happy with a draw.

“They bowled well, made us drive back down the ground, set fields that created pressure and made us play some false shots.”

After day two, it was difficult to see how Yorkshire could not win this fixture.

Having posted 593-9 declared, the White Rose bowlers had Hampshire tottering at 141-5.

But, led by centuries for James Vince and Sean Ervine, the visitors fought hard with the bat to avoid the follow-on before their bowlers followed suit.

Alex Lees, Gary Ballance, Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow all fell cheaply before lunch.

Bairstow was caught behind off a peach of a delivery from Ryan McLaren, but Lyth and Ballance played loose shots in being caught behind and at cover respectively. Lees was lbw pushing forward to James Tomlinson.

Hampshire’s resurgence through this game was particularly impressive given they suffered a series of injuries.

Sean Ervine suffered a suspected fractured left index finger whilst batting and did not take the field yesterday, while Liam Dawson’s abdominal strain left him in the same position.

Before play started, Fidel Edwards suffered a nasty right ankle injury in the warm-ups and was stretchered off the field. He remained in Leeds overnight for scans.

All three players required fielding substitutes, including Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein, the former Durham batsman, and their video analyst Joe Maiden.

Gale knows Yorkshire must improve for Sunday’s trip to Edgbaston to take on a Warwickshire side he believes will challenge strongly for the title this year.