STEVE Patterson believes the confidence engendered by delivering Yorkshire’s first piece of silverware in 12 years will encourage the White Rose players to attack with freedom this summer.

While the 31-year-old seamer believes a lot of the pressure is off the current squad, he insists they are still hungry to build on their LV= County Championship title success in 2015 and beyond.

Patterson recently signed a new one-year extension to his contract, meaning he will remain at Headingley until at least 2016.

This will be his 11th year of first-team cricket, although he made his second XI debut for his home county in 2002, the year in which Yorkshire won the one-day C&G Trophy.

“As you become more senior, you wonder whether you are going to get the opportunity to win something? If you get towards the end of your career and you haven’t, you can become a bit desperate,” said Beverley-born Patterson.

“The beauty is that we have now won something, so it sort of takes the pressure off.

‘You then think “right, let’s see what else we can do”. It gives you extra motivation because you know you’ve done it and are capable of doing it.

“At the same time, you are not desperate to tick that box because it’s already been ticked. Anything after that is almost a bonus, and you can play with a bit more freedom.

“I think because it’s been well documented over the last 40 years how little success we’ve had, it’s a relief. The pressure is off in that sense.

“At the start of last year, we didn’t play our best cricket, so you can look at it from the point of the view that if we play our best cricket for longer, we could be even more successful.

“It takes the pressure off. But, more so, it gives you confidence to know that if we play to our potential, we’ve got a decent chance.’ Despite the confidence now coursing through Andrew Gale’s squad, Patterson says they are under no illusions as to the size of the task they face this summer.

“It’s going to be harder than last year, without doubt. I think everybody looks at the team who has won and wants to get one over on them,” he said.