Gale case set for preliminary hearing

Yorkshire will attempt to have the charges against their captain, Andrew Gale, who is accused of using racially abusive language towards Ashwell Prince, thrown out on Tuesday when a preliminary hearing takes place.

Gale is facing a Level 3 offence under the ECB's disciplinary code for his foul-mouthed tirade at Prince during the Roses match at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Gale was handed six penalty points in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which led to an automatic ban for the rest of the reason when added to a previous sanction for dissent.

The case was then escalated to a full disciplinary hearing due to the perceived racial connotations of what Gale said when he told Prince to "f*** off back to your own country", which was followed by mention of Prince's Kolpak status although that term is not believed to be at the centre of the case.

The ECB's stance has potentially taken a hit in recent days with Prince telling a South African radio station that he did not consider the abuse racial while Usman Khawaja, who was named in reports over the weekend as being a key voice behind pushing the case, was said to be distancing himself from that suggestion having arrived back in Australia although the ECB did speak to him before he returned to Queensland.

If the charges are upheld at the preliminary hearing, the full disciplinary panel is likely to meet next week once the final round of the Championship matches - which both Lancashire and Yorkshire are involved in - is completed.