Yorkshire’s director of professional cricket Martyn Moxon will use pre-season to decide who will open the batting in the Championship this season.

He already has an idea in his head of who it will be but admits that could change before the first match against Durham at the Riverside in April.

The White Rose county were disrupted at the top of the order last term, fielding nine different opening partnerships in 16 four-day games.

They did not record one opening stand above 100, with a best of 82 shared between Andrew Gale and Chris Taylor in the first innings of the home draw against relegated Surrey at Headingley.

Left-hander Gale has already admitted he is not best suited to batting at the top of the order, even though he was the most successful opener in 2008.

In that position, Gale scored 329 runs with a top score of 136 in a Roses match against Lancashire at Old Trafford.

“Andrew would prefer to bat in the middle order,” said Moxon. “That is the place he feels his game is most suited to. But I am sure that he would bat anywhere as long as he is in the team.

“I think I have an idea of who I would like to see opening but that could change as we get closer to the start of the season.

“We have Andrew Gale, Adam Lyth, Michael Vaughan, Chris Taylor, Joe Sayers and even Jacques Rudolph if we needed him. Pre-season is all about finding the right partnership to take us into the new season.”

Moxon should be in the perfect position to judge, having been an opener himself for club and country.

Gale has hinted that Vaughan would prefer to bat at No 3 and if that happens, the Cleckheaton player may be forced to open or face batting as low as No 6, with captain Anthony McGrath and Rudolph at three and four.

Gale is almost certain to open the batting in one-day cricket.