Andrew Gale has described the Easter weekend as his most difficult period as Yorkshire’s captain.

But the 27-year-old left-handed batsman is still refusing to feel sorry for himself and his side as they prepare for next Wednesday’s return LV= County Championship trip to face Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Gale had to endure agonising losses to Warwickshire in the semi-final of the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition and to Kent in the Championship decider last September.

But he is convinced that their defeats against four-day champions Notts on Friday and the Netherlands in Sunday’s 40-over opener have left him feeling worse.

He said: “It has been the three worst days of my captaincy so far - but it’s only April, and three days don’t make the season.

“I still believe that, with the talent we have in the dressing room, we can’t continue to play like we have been. It’s important that we stay positive and not get too down. You don’t become a bad team overnight.

“There have been positives, and I know at some stage everything is going to click. Then we will start to win cricket games.”

Like director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon, Gale has lamented his side’s poor batting displays in both forms of the game.

“There have been some good individual performances, but we need to start playing as a team,” continued the skipper, who is currently enjoying four days of rest.

“We can’t keep relying on one person to play a good innings to win us matches. That is not how the game works. We need to start playing well collectively."

Gale will relinquish the captaincy duties for tomorrow's first-class three-day friendly against the students of Durham University, with fellow left-handed batsman Joe Sayers leading a young side.

Pace bowler Ajmal Shahzad will continue his comeback from his hamstring injury at the Racecourse Ground, while Moin Ashraf and Pudsey Congs’ wicketkeeper Barney Gibson are also in a 12-man squad.