Yorkshire are set for a winter of hard work as they prepare for the tough task of improving on last season’s displays in all forms of the game.

It won’t be hard to better their performances in Twenty20 and one-day cricket after only five wins from 22 matches in all but going one better than a second-placed finish in the LV= County Championship will be no mean feat.

With Lancashire and Northamptonshire replacing Surrey and Derbyshire, Division One promises to be a stronger competition.

And coach Jason Gillespie said: “The game of cricket improves, both with individuals getting better and teams getting better. That’s certainly something we’re conscious of. We need to really challenge ourselves this winter.

“The players have had their end-of-season appraisals and the support staff have had meetings as well. We’ve identified areas where we can get better. We’re excited about that. When the lads come back from their break, they will really get stuck in.”

The majority of Yorkshire’s players return to pre-season training at Headingley before Christmas, although there will be a number of absentees, including captain Andrew Gale.

The left-handed batsman is heading to Australia next week to play a spell of grade cricket with Melbourne club Dandenong, who are captained by former Nottinghamshire fast bowler Darren Pattinson.

Although the White Rose missed out on the Championship following that damaging defeat to eventual champions Durham in August, Gillespie still looks back on the 2013 campaign as a successful one.

“In the last two seasons, to get promoted and be in a position where you can seriously challenge for the title, I think you can measure that as success,” he added.