JASON Gillespie has hailed Jack Leaning’s flexibility as the fledgling batsman continues to make waves in Yorkshire’s LV= County Championship top order.

After an encouraging breakthrough year in 2014 saw the 21-year-old score 465 runs from ten matches, he has already topped that tally in the first five of this summer.

The right-hander has scored his first two hundreds in first-class cricket against Nottinghamshire and Somerset from number five and number three, and is their leading run-scorer with 502.

“Jack’s been fantastic,” said coach Gillespie. “He’s continuing his development. Last year was his breakthrough year, and for him to continue where he left off is testament to the young man.

“He’s been moved around the order but he’s got a confidence and is playing well. He’s batted in the middle order and has been thrown in at three. He’s taken to that like a duck to water.

“When you’re a young player coming into first-class cricket, if there’s a spot available, you just get put there whether it’s in the middle order or up at the top.

“Once you start to play more games, you find which is the best position for you in the team, and Jack will get to that position in his career.

“I know he was really enjoying batting at five at the start of the year, although he was keen to bat at three as well. He’s very flexible, and that’s great for a young player to be happy to bat wherever he’s asked.”

Leaning’s flexibility could be called upon again when Yorkshire host Middlesex at Headingley on Sunday because England duo Gary Ballance and Adam Lyth are available.

Ballance, having been left out of England’s one-day squad, needs to rediscover form which deserted him during the recent Test series against New Zealand. The left-hander has batted at three for England.

Opener Lyth, meanwhile, is also available in the build-up to next month’s Ashes after scoring his maiden Test century at Headingley on Saturday.

The pair’s availability leaves Gillespie and captain Andrew Gale with a selection headache.

Yorkshire’s team will be much changed given Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid are unavailable because of England one-day duty. Veteran off-spinner James Middlebrook could replace Rashid.

All England players, aside from Lancashire’s Jimmy Anderson, are available for tomorrow’s sold out NatWest T20 Blast Roses clash at Headingley.