YOUNGSTERS in the Bradford district have benefited from the expertise of a visiting Yorkshire and England Lions cricketer.

Pupils at Hothfield Junior School, Silsden, received a training session led by Alex Lees.

Mr Lees, who is an opening batsman, talked to the children about the honour of representing his country at cricket.

The 22-year-old also fielded a variety of questions from excited pupils during a special assembly.

He spoke about how he had begun playing cricket when he was only four-years-old, going on to become part of the Yorkshire Academy.

He also talked about his recent tour of South Africa with the England Lions squad, and gave pupils useful tips on how to improve their game and what it takes to be a good team captain.

Mr Lees ran a coaching class with some of the school’s year five and year six pupils in the playground, giving top tips on batting, bowling and fielding.

Hothfield teacher Ed Pickering, who organised the visit, said it had been great for the children to receive a visit from such a positive role model.

Mr Pickering said: “Alex was an inspiration to our children, showing them how dedication and commitment are the route to success.”

Lees is originally from Halifax and has been a fully professional Yorkshire County player since 2013.

He made his first-class cricket debut against the touring Indian A team in 2010, but had to turn down a chance to represent England Under 19s in the youth World Cup due to a family bereavement and his wish to concentrate on his Yorkshire career.

In July 2013 Lees grabbed national headlines when he became the youngest Yorkshire player to make a championship double century – aged 20 years and 95 days – when he hit a sensational 275 not out against Derbyshire.

He contributed to Yorkshire’s 2014 Championship triumph, and won a place on Lions team tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa.

Lees, a left-handed batsman, is regarded by many good judges - Geoffrey Boycott and Michael Vaughan among them - as worthy of close attention.

The Bradford district's strong affiliation with Yorkshire County Cricket Club could be further enhanced if a scheme to bring Bradford Park Avenue's ground back into use as a cricket hub are progressed.

A study is underway to see whether Park Avenue ground could be used as a hub for ambitious plans to boost cricket participation across the city is set to begin.

The Yorkshire Cricket Foundation are working with Yorkshire County Cricket Club, the Yorkshire Cricket Board, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), and Bradford Council, in a bid to restore the iconic ground to its former glories.

Feasibility work on whether the ground is suitable for redevelopment is currently taking place.

Although the initial focus will be on increasing grassroots participation, there is also the prospect of first-class cricket potentially returning to the ground for the first time since 1996, possibly to ease a congested international fixture list at Headingley in 2019.