Dom Sibley aiming to become long-term England opener

The Warwickshire batsman is in line for a Test debut in New Zealand following a stellar season in the County Championship

England opener-in-waiting Dominic Sibley is eager to make a place at the top of the order if and when he is handed a Test debut.

The 24-year-old is among the squad selected for the two-Test tour of New Zealand starting in November.

While Rory Burns nailed down a position as an opener during the Ashes series draw against Australia, neither Joe Denly or the dropped Jason Roy were overly convincing.

Sibley top-scored in the County Championship last season with 1,324 runs and faced more balls than any other player during another tough domestic campaign for opening batsmen.

With the series not contributing to the World Test Championship, the duel with back-to-back World Cup runners-up New Zealand provides the opportunity to blood untested players.

And if given the opportunity, the Warwickshire man is ready to take his chance with both hands.

"First of all, I want to go out there and train hard, be as well prepared as I can be in case I do get that call and get the cap," he told Sky Sports.

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"Then, once I get the chance to play, it's an opportunity to never give it away.

"That's my aim, if I do get the cap then I want to be opening the batting for England for as many years as possible. That's solely my aim if I'm lucky enough to get the cap."

Though some have questioned his technique, Sibley has proven himself as a diligent operator at the crease. His first-class career strike-rate of 41.92 reflects his watchful-nature and suggests he has the temperament to succeed at Test level.

Sibley has worked hard in recent years to quell his technical flaws, which nows sees him play the ball straighter, and believes he can transfer that to the five-day format without any problem.

"Everyone that has played as an opener has deserved their chance through doing really well at county level," he added.

"I don't think it's a case of me doing anything different, it's just that this season something has clicked for me, I've got a better understanding of my game and hopefully I can take that into the Test arena."

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