ANDREW Gale is hoping Yorkshire will in time be able to reflect on their disappointing opening round performance against Glamorgan as a beneficial experience.

Yorkshire were a long way below par - with both bat and ball - in the curtain raising LV= Insurance County Championship Group Three fixture at Emerald Headingley, which finished in a draw on Sunday.

They were nowhere near the standards expected of a side tipped by many to challenge for four-day silverware in 2021.

But an opportunity to rectify that comes quickly in the form of a trip to face Kent at Canterbury’s Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, starting on Thursday morning (11am).

England Test captain Joe Root will be available once more, while Gary Ballance returns after a week out with concussion.

David Willey is also likely to come into the side as one of the inclusions following injuries to seamers Ben Coad and Matthew Fisher.

Gale said: “Nothing is won in the first game of the season, and that might just be a bit of a kick up the backside for the lads. Not that they should need it.

“We’ve got to perform better than we did against Glamorgan, that’s for sure, if we’re going to compete with the likes of Lancs and Kent in this group, both who are really good teams.

“For the line-up we had out against Glamorgan, we performed poorly. And it’s disappointing.

“You saw how well the lads batted in pre-season, and we were a shadow of that in the first innings. Yes, you have to give Glamorgan credit, they bowled well. But it was a good pitch for batting on.”

Kent, who will include England Test batsman Zak Crawley and former Yorkshire two-time Championship winner Jack Leaning, started the season with a high-scoring draw away at Northampton last week.

In 2019, Yorkshire won at Canterbury before Kent turned the tables at Headingley on the back of a double century and 10 wickets in the match for Darren Stevens.

Last week, Stevens, who turns 45 later this month, became the oldest player to score a century in the Championship since 1986.

Yorkshire, however, are hoping it is a much younger all-rounder in Willey, 31, who will have a major impact in the fixture.

Willey was close to winning selection for the Glamorgan game and recently spoke about his determination to play a significant role in a successful four-day season.

Since joining Yorkshire at the start of 2016, he has only played 13 Championship games due to injury and unavailability.

Willey has been rehabbing for a large part of the winter following a back stress fracture suffered late last season.

“Dave’s desperate to play,” added Gale. “We will have to manage his workloads because history tells us that getting through back-to-back games is a challenge for him.

“Coming off the back of a stress fracture, I knew the Glamorgan game would be a good pitch and we’d probably spend a bit of time in the field. That’s why we went with Duanne (Olivier) over Dave.

“One of his goals at the start of this season was to be available for every Championship game.

“He was for Glamorgan, and he will be right in the mix for Kent.

“He gives us something a bit different, he can change a game, he’s in your face, and I really like that about him.

“With the time we’ve had to work with him this winter, he’s made some adjustments to his action - one to take pressure off his body and two to make him more consistent.

“He’s put a hell of a lot of work in, and all signs are good from training and the practice games.

“Hopefully he can click and play a significant part for us.”

Timings of play end of the first three days will be extended to make up an hour and ensure there is no play between 2.50pm and 4.10pm during Saturday’s third day when HRH Prince Philip’s funeral takes place.