JASON Gillespie has challenged his bowlers to be tighter with their lines and lengths and his batsmen to be more aggressive as Yorkshire look to build on a steady start to 2015.

The champions know their performances during the first three LV= County Championship matches could have been better.

After beating Worcestershire convincingly in the opening round last month, they have drawn matches against Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, last year’s closest rivals.

And while they had chances to win both matches, they were also in danger of losing them at stages.

Yorkshire’s bowlers conceded 400 plus in the first innings against Notts and Warwickshire, while their reply with the bat against the latter at Headingley last week should have been better than 303.

Gillespie has used the first-innings dismissals of Jack Leaning and Andrew Hodd to Boyd Rankin, caught at deep backward-square-leg pulling and caught at backward point cutting, as examples to illustrate his point.

“If you compare our bowling effort at Worcester and our lines and lengths to Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, they’re a bit different,” said coach Gillespie.

“The challenge for our bowlers is to be a bit more ruthless with their lines and lengths, and our batters, first innings against Warwickshire, just gifted a couple of wickets.

“We gifted Boyd Rankin a few poles.

“Jack Leaning, for instance, he only half-heartedly played at it. He was the first to acknowledge that he was in two minds and needed to commit to the shot. Hoddy, he also needed to commit to his shot instead of second guessing himself.

“We encourage our batters ‘if you want to hit it, hit it. Belt it. Don’t try and just chip it, hit a six’.

“I’m a firm believer with batting, if you are looking to hit the ball and score, you get into a better position. Then, if it’s not there to hit, you are in a good position to defend.

“If you’re sort of not sure, you’re not going to get into a good position to hit the ball. That’s kind of where we are coming from.”

Yorkshire are back in Championship action against newly-promoted Hampshire at Headingley on Sunday.