England vs Sri Lanka: Alex Hales' determination impresses assistant coach Paul Farbrace

The batsman's dogged 86 provided a foil for Bairstow's brilliance

Hales could yet be the long-term opening partner for captain Alastair Cook (Getty)

England's innings victory over Sri Lanka at Headingley will be remembered for Jonny Bairstow and James Anderson's brilliance - but there was another individual performance to settle home nerves.

Alex Hales demonstrated with his painstaking 86 that he may just be a long-term solution to the problem of who accompanies captain Alastair Cook at the top of the order.

Assistant coach Paul Farbrace was suitably impressed, as he reflected on the most significant factors in England's surge into a 1-0 lead inside three days.

Before the hosts announce their squad for the second Test, starting in Durham at the end of the week, the main issue will surround the fitness of key all-rounder Ben Stokes - due for a scan on Sunday, after limping off the field in Leeds.

There may be furrowed brows on that score, but England can at least begin to hope the vexed vacancy alongside Cook may be filled at last.

Hales' determination provided Bairstow with a foil, in a sixth-wicket stand of 141, as England turned 83 for five into 298 - more than enough for Anderson to run through the tourists twice on his way to outstanding match figures of 10 for 45.

If Hales' hard work was important in the context of one match, Farbrace believes it will prove more so for the 27-year-old opener himself - intent on adapting the approach which serves so well in limited-overs cricket to the Test arena too.

"This innings will convince him he can play Test cricket," said Farbrace. "It's a shame he didn't get a hundred. But in the situation, 86 runs on that surface was a fantastic innings."

Farbrace senses, in fact, that Hales may be best advised not to make too many allowances for the change of format - because strengths in 50 and 20 overs can transfer to five days.

"There were a lot of people talking about his technique - 'Can he play Test cricket? Is he just a one-day player?'

"The big thing for him is (to feel) he can play Test cricket. There was an awful lot of talk from him about leaving the ball. He was determined to not get caught-behind, caught at slip, and know where his off stump was.

"I think that took him away from his strength, which is through the off side."

A Test batsman, just as surely as he must avoid mistakes, needs his attacking options too.

"His off side is a big scoring area - and if you take out one side of the field in Test cricket, when you don't get as many bad balls, you are making it hard for yourself to score runs," said Farbrace.

"The idea of standing up and being more positive and looking to score through the off side made him look a lot better in this game."

Whatever the technicalities - albeit with reservations about a lack of fluency as he tried to dig in for a maiden hundred - Hales undoubtedly passed his first test of the summer, after his patchy first series in South Africa.

"He showed a lot of courage," said Farbrace."Yes, he was under pressure coming into it - but more of his own making.

"A score just lifts that pressure off him. Jonny (Bairstow) is a prime example of someone coming in and getting a score and lifting the pressure.

"Then you can concentrate on playing, rather than wondering if I am going to play in the next game."

England's encouraging start to the season does come with minor qualms.Irrespective of Stokes' fitness, there is the suitability of Nick Compton at number three.

Farbrace scotches suggestions that Compton's intensity is an issue - and backs him, like Hales, to play to his own strengths in a team which can accommodate different strokes.

"In our middle order, we have an awful lot of shots," he said. "We just need to get the balance right in our top three, because the top three set up your innings for you.

"I have read all the stuff about (Compton's) intense personality, but I have yet to meet a batsman at the top level who is not intense about the way they prepare.

"He is not a difficult bloke. He is an easy bloke to work with and he is passionate about scoring runs - and he has everything you need from a top-quality batter."

Compton will be encouraged to be himself. Farbrace added: "What (we say to) players in red or white-ball cricket is 'play your game'.

"Don't get picked to play for England and change the way you play. There is no pressure from us to put his foot down and start whacking it. We (just) want him to score runs - that is why he is in the side."

PA