Jacques Rudolph has likened Andrew Gale’s style of captaincy to that of South Africa captain Graeme Smith.

Rudolph has been deputising for Gale as Yorkshire skipper while the 26-year-old left-hander was away with the England Lions squad for their triangular one-day competition against India A and West Indies A.

“Galey’s leadership has been brilliant,” said Rudolph, who played under Smith’s guidance during his four-year international career between 2003 and 2006.

“In terms of his character and his presence, he’s up for a fight the whole time. Galey’s got a brilliant persona and he commands respect instantly.”

Gale has scored 456 runs from seven LV= County Championship matches at an average of 50.66, including two hundreds and two half-centuries.

He has scored 208 runs from four Clydesdale Bank 40 matches, including an unbeaten 125 against Essex at Chelmsford in the opening match of the competition back in May.

He has also notched 323 runs from 11 Friends Provident Twenty20 matches, including three half-centuries.

Rudolph said: “If I had to be hyper-critical, Galey’s not as fluent on the eye as someone like Adam Lyth. But he knuckles down and gets on with the job. He gets runs most of the time he plays.”

Gale has plenty of support within the Yorkshire dressing room. Last week, Lyth highlighted the confidence that Gale gives the other players around him.

“I just think that Andrew Gale’s given me the confidence to go out and play my natural game and open the batting,” he said. “You just want to do well for him because he’s a nice lad. He wants us all to do well too.”

Pace bowler Steve Patterson, who has broken into the first team on a regular basis this season, has also given his two penny’s worth.

Patterson, also 26, said: “I’ve never played under Graeme Smith, so I can’t judge on Jacques’ point, but I think Galey’s been fantastic.

“He reads situations very well, both with individuals and with the team. He’s backed his players, his own form has been great and he’s led from the front absolutely superbly.

“He made it clear to us at the start of the season that he wanted us to play attacking cricket in every competition. When you look back on this year, we’ve done that. A lot of it has got to be put down to him for the way he has led us.”

Gale’s appointment as the county’s captain was certainly a gamble last December but one that is already paying off.