Alex Lees

Alex Lees enjoyed a successful 2023 campaign, playing his part in Durham’s promotion back to Division as the left hander scored runs for fun in both formats.

Lees set the tempo for the way he would bat throughout 2023, with an aggressive approach in the season opener at Hove, as he needed just 55 balls to bring up his half-century with a pull off Crocombe that brought him a ninth boundary on his way to 79.

70 against Worcestershire followed in the second game of the season and after a period of reaching the 40s and being dismissed, Lees’ (101) and (145) against Leicestershire at Grace Road was the catalyst he needed for the second half of the red ball campaign.

He won the race to become the first player to score 1,000 County Championship runs across both Divisions, as the 31-year-old scored the 84 needed against Derbyshire to reach the milestone and went on to make 171 from 210 balls.

His century against Derbyshire came by clipping Anuj Dal to the fine leg boundary as Leeds brought up his fourth century in five innings.

The left-handers highest score of the season came against Gloucestershire with a flawless knock of 195, posting his highest score as a Durham player since his move to Seat Unique Riverside in 2018.

Lees powered his way to his highest score in a Durham shirt with three-straight pulls to the boundary against Zaman Akhter.

He continued his outstanding form with a fifth and final century of the summer with a knock of 103 from 155 balls to provide the foundation of a seven wicket win against Sussex and put Durham well on their way to promotion.

Appointed white ball skipper ahead of the 2023 season, Lees proved his all-format worth notching up 403 runs in the Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign, breaking his own 50 over high score with a brilliant 144 against Sussex at Hove. Lees also added three half-centuries in the competition, finishing with an impressive average of 57.57.

In the Vitality Blast, Lees added a further 340 runs with a high score of 90 against his former county Yorkshire at Headingley, adding another score of 78 along with two 50 plus scores in the group stages.