Andrew Gale wants his Yorkshire players on top of their game for the seven remaining Clydesdale Bank 40 matches.

The Tykes are in pole position to secure the top spot needed in Group B to advance to the semi-finals after five wins on the spin.

They are currently in the midst of a week’s break from Championship cricket, during which they will have played three 40-over matches against Middlesex, Gloucestershire and Holland.

They hammered Middlesex at Lord’s on Sunday and will go in search of their sixth consecutive win on Thursday afternoon at Bristol.

Gale said: “Every game is a cup final for us from now until the end of the season. I expect every player to come in and give 110 per cent, otherwise I will not have them in my team.

“It’s a big week for us and we want to keep our unbeaten record. It could be a defining week. If we can win three out of three, we will be in a great position to qualify.”

Yorkshire’s eight-wicket success in north London was their first 40-over match since May 15, a ten-week break filled with a couple of four-day matches and 16 Twenty20 fixtures.

Their lack of action did not show and Gale explained: “I made a conscious effort to make sure the lads knew what had worked for us in the first half of the season (before the Middlesex game).”

Yorkshire will definitely be without England bowler Ajmal Shahzad on Thursday but he could make a late dash on Friday to link up with the squad for the Dutch trip if he is not selected for this week’s Test against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

England all-rounder Tim Bresnan will be available for both Yorkshire matches, with Tino Best set to take Shahzad’s place on Thursday.

Seven of the Yorkshire side that beat Middlesex made their first appearance at Lord’s, the spiritual home of cricket, including Gale. Should they qualify for the final, they will return to the venue on September 18.

Gale said: “It was a great feeling to walk out and play at the home of cricket. It was the first time I’ve ever played there.

“Quite a lot of the lads had never played there before. If you’ve done well, like we did, it will hopefully give us the confidence to do it again if we go back.”

Meanwhile, Yorkshire’s board will meet tomorrow to discuss ways of cutting costs after disappointing ticket sales for last week’s Test between Pakistan and Australia. But chairman Colin Graves said: “We don’t see swingeing cuts at all.”