Emilio Gay's valuable innings shows he can be the solution to key England problem as debutant rises above the rest on bowler-friendly Lord's pitch, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH

England debutant Emilio Gay scored a half-century on his Test debut at Lord's, reaching the milestone by tucking a shot from Smith through square leg for two runs shortly before 3pm. His innings was considered particularly valuable given the bowler-friendly conditions at Lord's, which were dominated by seam bowling throughout the day. The performance has raised suggestions that Gay could be the solution to a key batting position problem for England.