ENGLAND opener Ben Duckett made just 25 on his return to action as contenders for the Test opener berth struggled in the County Championship.

Duckett failed to make a half-century in a difficult Ashes series made worse by off-field indiscipline, averaging just over 20 from his 10 innings, and then was an unused squad member for England’s T20 World Cup campaign.

He began his first innings since February’s T20 in Sri Lanka in typically punchy fashion, counter-attacking from number three after Nottinghamshire lost both openers for a duck against Glamorgan.

Duckett, whose England place has come under question, was on 25 from 27 balls when a leading edge off Timm van der Gugten was well held at cover.

Among the leading names to step back into the England opener berth against New Zealand in June, Nottinghamshire’s Haseeb Hameed and Surrey’s Dom Sibley failed to press their claim.

Hameed was bowled for a first-ball duck at Trent Bridge while last season’s leading Division One run-scorer Sibley made only four before being trapped by Leicestershire’s Josh Hull at the Oval.

Duckett’s current Test opening partner Zak Crawley, who also endured a difficult winter before making scores of just nine and 20 in last week’s season opener, had to wait to get bat in hand as Kent bowled first against Northamptonshire.