England new boy Dom Sibley set to open with Rory Burns after century in warm-up match

Set to open: Sibley made his second 50 at nearly a run a ball
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Dom Sibley looks to have guaranteed his selection as Rory Burns’s opening partner in next week’s first Test against New Zealand after hitting a century in Tuesday’s warm-up match in Whangarei.

Sibley, 24, one of two centurions alongside Zak Crawley, reached his half-century after 109 balls with slow, authoritative run building. But he then gave an insight into his stroke-making abilities with a near run-a-ball second half-century before retiring on 100.

Crawley, the 21-year-old Kent player, earned a reprieve when dropped on 11 before also retiring after reaching three figures, admittedly against a New Zealand XI lacking much in the way of bowling experience to prepare for the first Test a week tomorrow. The tourists lost just one wicket following a rain-delayed start as Burns was out for 23. Following Sibley’s retirement, captain Joe Root hit a run-a-ball 41, with Ollie Pope adding nine as England ended on 285 for three.

Sibley (first right, with Crawley) said: “I don’t see myself as a blocker but opening the batting is tough. So, you have to face a lot of balls and make sure you get through the new ball. Then you can cash in. I like to think I have a few shots in my locker and I know that batting always gets easier at some stage if you stick with it for long enough.”

The Warwickshire batsman has proved to be an accumulator of runs and in the summer was the only player in Division One of the County Championship to reach the 1,000 milestone. Quite how that form translates to Test cricket remains to be seen. But England could do with some stability at the top of their order, having struggled to find a settled opening pairing.

Crawley, who like Sibley was playing in England’s whites for the first time, looks unlikely to force his way into the Test side despite impressing on a day when the tourists had hoped to blood all their batsmen.

But with the wet weather causing the start to be delayed by three-and-a-half hours, players like World Cup stars Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler failed to get a chance at the crease.

England will resume in the two-day match in the field, with Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad getting their first opportunity for their country since the Ashes series last summer.

Newcomers: Sibley and Crawley scored tons in the warm-up match
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The team look set to be boosted by the return from injury of Joe Denly for the second warm-up match later this week.

If, as expected, Denly proves his fitness, Jonny Bairstow, who had been added to the squad as a precaution while doubts persisted over the former, will fly back to England at the weekend and play no part in the two Tests.

England coach Chris Silverwood said: “Joe’s progressing nicely. The medics are happy where he is and we’ll be looking for him to take part, certainly in the first-class match.”

New Zealand, meanwhile, are confident that their influential captain Kane Williamson can prove his fitness for the series having been suffering with an ongoing hip problem.

But there are doubts that he will last both the England Tests and three subsequent five-day games against Australia.

Coach Gary Stead said: “It’s not usually batting that aggravates it.

“Hopefully, he bats for a long time and scores a

lot of runs. He’s been with us the last couple of games and had a number of red-ball trainings with us as well, getting back into the rhythm of playing.

“I’m reasonably confident he’ll be okay come the first Test.”

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