Alex Lees half-century offers encouragement in England’s search for an opener

Newcomer Alex Lees gave a solid audition as England’s latest opener, batting through two full sessions for an unbeaten half-century on the first day of the tourists’ Test warm-up match in Antigua.

The uncapped Durham batter has been brought to the West Indies to help solve the longstanding problems at the head of the innings, which were brutally exposed during the 4-0 Ashes defeat, and showed the right kind of resolve to suggest he has a role to play in England’s much-discussed “red-ball reset”.

In a tea score of 153 for one against a Cricket West Indies President’s XI the left-hander was 54 not out, banking four valuable hours in the middle and occupying 174 deliveries along the way.

His new opening partnership with Zak Crawley got off to a promising start, with the latter reeling off a fluent 62 in a stand of 88 and allowing Lees to feel his way into life in an England shirt.

His sedate strike-rate may invite comparisons with Dom Sibley, who was criticised for his lethargic scoring before he was dropped last summer, but the 28-year-old showed off a reassuringly sturdy technique that may yet make him a more viable long-term option than the likes of Sibley, Rory Burns or Haseeb Hameed.

Stiffer challenges await, and there were a handful of lbw appeals that the West Indies Test team will surely review as they seek to locate flaws in his game, but for now Lees has given himself a welcome foundation to work from ahead of next week’s series opener at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

For Joe Root, it was a relaxed return to the number three position and he was able to ease his way to 29no after Crawley was clean bowled through the gate by off-spinner Bryan Charles.

Lees faced up first and dutifully saw off a new-ball burst