Lehmann focused on getting the balance right for Cardiff opener

A convincing 255-run victory over Kent in Canterbury, despite a smashing century from young Englishman Daniel Bell-Drummond, opened Australia’s tour.

Next the tourists go to Chelmsford for a four-day game with Essex, which begins on Wednesday, while England are in Spain to get to know new head coach Trevor Bayliss.

Asked what England can achieve by their break, coming little more than a week out from the start of the Ashes in Cardiff on July 8, former Yorkshire player Lehmann said: “I don’t know, don’t want to know. Don’t care.

“I only worry about us. We’ve got to worry about how we’re going to produce really good cricket in England because we haven’t won here in 14 years.

“That’s our focus. We’re not worried too much about what England are doing.”

The four-day game at the St Lawrence Ground was filled with positives for Lehmann, who gave short shrift to England seamer Stuart Broad’s suggestion that Steven Smith could struggle this summer.

Smith, fresh from 199 and an unbeaten 54 in Jamaica earlier this month, made 111 before retiring in his only appearance at the crease in Kent.

“I thought this sledging stuff was supposed to stop,” Lehmann said with a smile.

“I’m not too worried about that. He’s a pretty good player. I think he got 199 at No 3 the other week. I think he’ll be fine.

“You’ve got to be a good player to make runs and I think Steven Smith’s a good player.”

Lehmann named his team for Essex – David Warner, Chris Rogers, Michael Clark, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Mitchell Marsh, Peter Nevill, Ryan Harris, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and Nathan Lyon – and is pleased with the strength in depth in his squad.

He has the majority of his team for Cardiff in mind.

“We know the rough line-up we want to go with, how that shapes up will still depend a bit on performance,” he said.

Two positions where decisions have to be made are at opener – between Shaun Marsh and Rogers – and the all-rounder berth, which is up for grabs between Mitchell Marsh and Watson, who hit 101 and 81, respectively, in Australia’s second innings in Kent.

“It’s going to be tight,” said Lehmann, who said Watson did not bowl due to general soreness, rather than any injury.

“We need Watto bowling and he’ll definitely bowl in the next tour game. He’s going to have to bowl well (to be selected).”

Seamer Ryan Harris needs to prove his worth and fitness, too.

Lehmann added: “He’s got to prove to us he can bowl 20 overs an innings and make sure he’s ready to go.

“If he can do that then he certainly comes into consideration.”

Australia had little trouble against the majority of Kent’s players but Bell-Drummond showed his potential with 127 from 112 balls, featuring 21 fours and three sixes.

The 21-year-old Londoner’s innings was compared favourably to Colin Cowdrey’s ton in Kent’s only victory over Australia since the 19th century, which took place 40 years ago this weekend.

Bell-Drummond described his innings as his best day in cricket “by quite a mile” as he earned the congratulations of Australia captain Michael Clarke.

His first innings ended without scoring after four balls to Mitchell Johnson and his first thought was ensuring he could get off the mark.

“The first innings was a bit of an eye opener but I’m glad I could, for a start, get off a pair and push on from there,” Bell-Drummond said.

“I got a few shots away and suddenly I was on 20. I wasn’t really thinking about 50.

“I was just trying to play it on its merit.”

He took a particular liking to the spin of Fawad Ahmed, hitting successive sixes to reach three figures.

He hopes to gain confidence from his performance to earn international recognition in future.

“I’ll try to play like that all the time,” he said.

“I did pretty well for the England Under-19s but I haven’t really kicked on as I’d have liked.

“Hopefully, I’ve shown myself how I can bat and hopefully I can improve on the season going forward and get a lot more runs for Kent.”