England opener Alex Lees keen to see aggressive approach adopted in county game

Alex Lees believes the exploits of England’s newly aggressive Test team have created a buzz in the county game, having helped “spread the word” during his recent stint with Durham.

England started their summer with a series of daring victories over New Zealand and India, flourishing in increasingly vibrant fashion under the guidance of recently appointed head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

After four stirring chases their momentum was only stopped by the schedule, which gave way to a month of mixed results in the white-ball arena.

Opener Lees spent that time back on the domestic circuit, where he found plenty of interest in the fresh blueprint laid down by McCullum and Stokes.

“Their message to me was simple: try to take the vision they have for moving English cricket forward and bring some of that to the county game,” he told PA news agency.

“It wasn’t anything more than ‘spread the word of how we want to play’ and I think there’s some real excitement out there about playing that more aggressive brand. Not many players come tap me up for information as a rule, but the thing that is so good about how we’ve played is that it’s very clear for everyone what has changed. There’s no hidden agenda, just a clear message everyone can see without delving too deep.

“It’s out there now in the county game and in the bigger picture, be it club cricket or junior cricket, everyone in the country can look at how Jonny Bairstow or Joe Root have been going about things and see that mindset.”

Lees was attempting to pass some tips along at a media net session with Durham Cricket’s partners Vertu Motors, but admitted that a willingness to adapt was only one of the ingredients.

In his most recent championship appearance