YORKSHIRE have enjoyed a champion summer.

There is still plenty to do in limited-overs cricket but that can wait for now after Andrew Gale's side secured county cricket's Holy Grail – the LV= County Championship title.

The White Rose side wrestled the title away from Durham in ruthless fashion, winning eight out of 16 matches and losing only once.

They learned from the mistakes of the previous season when, with the title in their sights going into the final quarter, they took their eye off the ball.

Going into their 13th match at Scarborough in August 2013, they were 25½ points clear of opponents Durham, who had five to play. They lost and Durham went on to claim the crown.

This year, it was different. Gale's mantra was 'process, process, process'. Basically, he wanted the squad to concentrate on each session and not to look too far ahead.

Yorkshire won five matches by an innings and they won four out of their last five fixtures.

The latter run included a first Roses victory at the 16th attempt at Emirates Old Trafford at the start of September and a title-clinching win against closest rivals Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

In Adam Lyth, Yorkshire had the division's leading scorer with 1,489 runs and the division's most prolific outfield catcher with 35. In Jack Brooks, they had the division's second-most prolific bowler with 68 wickets.

While Lyth moved to the verge of an England Test call-up, Adil Rashid's resurgence with bat and ball has also helped him reignite his international ambitions.

Seven batsmen passed 500 runs, most notably Lyth. He and Alex Lees were by far and away the country's most prolific opening partnership.

Although Yorkshire had to do without Joe Root and Gary Ballance for large parts of the season due to England commitments, they were boosted by the prolonged availability of key duo Jonny Bairstow and Tim Bresnan.

There were also notable contributions from the experienced Ryan Sidebottom and young gun Jack Leaning, among others.

The controversy surrounding captain Gale at the end of the season, ridiculously charged with racism by the ECB following an altercation with Lancashire opponent Ashwell Prince at Old Trafford, should not detract from the part he played in this success.

Jason Gillespie described Gale leaving himself out at Lord's as a defining moment in the season as it instantly united the squad.

Coach Gillespie and the rest of the back-room team must all take credit – including the likes of Richard Dawson and Ian Dews, who led the Academy to a league and cup double.

But most notably, the relationship forged between Gillespie and director of cricket Martyn Moxon was crucial in creating a relaxed environment in which the players could flourish.