Watchful Alex Lees warms up with 65 as England start another new era in the West Indies

If the most pressing of England’s many needs after their Ashes debacle is for an opener of substance then Alex Lees fitted the bill on the first day of their latest new era.

Lees was solidity personified as England enjoyed a productive, if gentle, opening to their tour against a West Indies President’s XI, racking up 251 for four on the Coolidge ground where in 2008 they made a failed attempt at winning Allen Stanford’s crooked millions.

The bat of the Lions captain was certainly a lot straighter than the jailed American ‘billionaire’ whose bank overlooking his old ground stands as a deserted relic of a damaging episode in the history of both West Indian and English cricket.

Not as damaging, though, as an Ashes thrashing which leaves England trying to rebuild under interim coach Paul Collingwood and with another new opening partnership in Zak Crawley and 28-year-old Lees. 

Both openers will be pleased with their day’s work.

Crawley looked classy in making 62 off 106 balls and Lees mixed left-handed orthodoxy with the occasional aggressive moment in his 65 off more than twice as many deliveries.

England openers Zak Crawley and Alex Lees leave the field at lunch during day one

A slow scoring rate will be the least of England’s problems if Lees can succeed where Rory Burns and Haseeb Hameed failed in Australia when he makes his Test debut here next week.

Captain Joe Root hit 54 as England declared their first Test hand in playing Dan Lawrence — unbeaten on 46 — at four ahead of Ollie Pope, and seamer Craig Overton instead of Saqib Mahmood and Matt Fisher. 

Ben Stokes, who is likely to play as a specialist batter in the first Test as he recovers from a side strain, was bowled by Bryan Charles for 11.