Alex Lees has been confirmed as Yorkshire Vikings one-day captain for the 2016 season.

The 22-year-old, who took over from Andrew Gale as the Vikings interim skipper in August, will become Yorkshire’s youngest-ever official limited-overs captain since the format was introduced in 1963.

Last season, the Halifax-born left-hander, captained the White Rose County on eight occasions.

Yorkshire’s head coach Jason Gillespie said: “Alex captained the side in a number of fixtures in the 50-over and T20 competitions last season and we thought he did a pretty good job.

“After considering a number of candidates, we feel Alex is the right fit for us as captain.

“He learned a lot on the job last season and we think he can develop further as a leader. We are delighted to afford him this opportunity and believe he will do a fantastic job for our club.”

Alex Lees (right) receives his county cap from Yorkshire captain Andrew Gale

Halifax-based Lees, who represented the England Lions last winter, says he is honoured.

“It gives me great pride to be leading Yorkshire in one-day cricket,” he explained.

“This is a big county with lots of potential and opportunity. It is an exciting time to be part of a team that has high hopes of trying to win some silverware in white ball cricket.

“I’m only 22, but I have a lot to offer as captain. I will be very open with my approach and will lean on the experienced players to drive us on and be successful.

“We can learn from our recent experiences and, more importantly, look to improve in all aspects of our game.”

Lees has played 31 List A matches in his professional career and 21 T20 matches for Yorkshire since making his senior one-day debut in 2011.