WILL Rhodes is ready to step up and fill Adam Lyth’s shoes as an opening batsman when the LV= County Championship starts against Worcestershire at New Road next month.

All-rounder Rhodes only made his first-class debut against the MCC in Abu Dhabi this week but the 20-year-old has also impressed the White Rose hierarchy enough this winter to be considered the leading candidate for England-bound Lyth’s job.

Wicketkeeper Andrew Hodd is another option but taking the gloves, with Jonny Bairstow joining Lyth in the West Indies, will almost certainly rule him out.

Rhodes scored a composed first-innings 61 off 149 balls when he batted in the middle order against the MCC. He did, however, manage to get nearly 12 overs facing the second new ball.

The ex-England Under-19s captain has previous experience of opening at international level and in county Academy and second XI cricket.

Last summer, the left-hander scored three hundreds and three fifties against the new ball for the Academy.

"If asked, I'd definitely be keen to do it,” said Rhodes on the challenge of fulfilling that position in the Championship.

“It's something I've done in white-ball cricket before with England Under-19s and in the second team with the white and red ball.

"There would be a little bit I'd need to work on, but if I was asked to do it, I'm sure that Alex Lees and Adam Lyth would be able to give me some good tips.

"I did some opening last year against the red ball in the Academy with Eliot Callis. We are two experienced players in the Academy and it was something Ian Dews wanted us to do.

“Batting against a hard ball can be a good chance to get big runs.

"If I was to do it, it would be a big challenge. But I'm not really bothered where I bat. If I get the chance to open or bat five or six, I just want to play. "Hopefully I've put my name in the hat for Worcester.”

Rhodes will get his first opportunity to open in first-class cricket when Yorkshire face Leeds/Bradford MCC Universities in a three-day friendly at Headingley, starting a week on Tuesday.

Yorkshire hold their AGM at Headingley at 10am on Saturday. It will be Colin Graves’ last as chairman before he joins the ECB.