JASON GILLESPIE has backed calls for Adam Lyth to become the latest Yorkshire player to be called into the England set-up after his sixth Championship century of the season put them on course for a title victory.

Lyth’s superb 122 allowed Yorkshire to finish the opening day against Nottinghamshire on 319-4 having entered the Trent Bridge match 26 points ahead of their opponents, needing only to ensure they match their points tally to win the title.

It took Lyth’s tally to 1,428 championship runs in 21 innings and, although England do not have any Test cricket until their tour of the West Indies in April, Gillespie believes the Whitby-born opener is ready to join Yorkshire team-mates Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Liam Plunkett in Test cricket.

“Why not,” said Gillespie, Yorkshire’s first team coach. “The amount of runs he scores doesn’t lie.

“He scores all around the wicket and he’s learned some really good lessons over the last few years of his career.

“He’s learned how to score runs in all conditions against different types of bowling at the top of the order and he’s been presented with a lot of different conditions and different bowlers and he’s not only survived but thrived.

“He’s a little bit older now and had a number of years in first-class cricket learning his game and developing. If he got his opportunity I’m sure he’d grab it with both hands.”

Lyth set the tone for Yorkshire’s dominant day by forging a 176-run opening stand with Alex Lees after Root, leading the side in the absence of suspended captain Andrew Gale, chose to bat first after winning the toss.

Yet the day could have been so different had Lyth not been given a reprieve from the second ball of the match, edging seamer Luke Fletcher behind only for Chris Read, Nottinghamshire’s wicketkeeper and captain, to fumble the catch.

It was one of three missed chances before lunch with Lees also dropped on 20 and 45 by Riki Wessels at short leg off Gary Keedy, the former Yorkshire and Lancashire left-arm spinner.

The partnership was finally broken by the same combination with Lees pushing forward defensively on 86, only for Wessels to make amends with a superb one-handed diving catch.

Lyth completed his century and looked on course to repeat the 251 he scored against Lancashire at Old Trafford last week, but mis-timed an attempted drive and Keedy was able to take a return catch.

Root was unable to build on the promising early work, given lbw to left-arm seamer Harry Gurney to a ball that looked like it was missing the stumps.

Jonny Bairstow was also unable to capitalise and fell for two after he gave a leading edge off Fletcher and was brilliantly caught by ex-Tyke Michael Lumb in the gully.

But Yorkshire finished the day poised to take advantage of their strong position with Ballance progressing to 82 not out at the close.