Warwickshire opening batsman Dom Sibley is among four players in line to make an England Lions debut against Australia A in the four-day match starting next Sunday.
Sibley (23) became the first batsman to reach 1,000 First Class runs, including the Champion County game in Abu Dhabi, last week by scoring a double century away to Kent and he currently averages 70.92 in the 2019 Specsavers County Championship.
Kent batsman Zak Crawley, Gloucestershire batsman James Bracey and Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson are the other two uncapped Lions in the squad, which also contains three players with Test match experience – Ben Foakes, Ben Duckett and Jack Leach.
We’ve got an eye on the England team’s short-term needs ahead of a busy winter schedule, but we’re looking at some medium- and long-term prospects as well.
Andy Flower
Robinson is joined by the only seamer with more Specsavers County Championship wickets than him in Lewis Gregory. The Somerset all-rounder has been in fine form all season, with his 44 first-class wickets costing just 12 runs apiece, and a batting average of 34 for the Championship leaders.
Lions Head Coach Andy Flower said: “We’re really looking forward to a great challenge against a very experienced Australia A side, some of whom will be looking to stake a claim for Ashes selection.
“We’ve got a very good squad of players travelling with us to Canterbury; one that’s more than capable of delivering a positive result.
“Lions selection is always tricky. We’ve got an eye on the England team’s short-term needs ahead of a busy winter schedule, but we’re looking at some medium- and long-term prospects as well. We also need to respect the counties’ needs during this busy time in the domestic season.
“While some players will be playing at this level for the first time, there is plenty of experience in our squad too. This will be a great learning opportunity for all these players and a chance to test themselves against a strong opposition.”
The captain for this match will be announced in due course.
England Lions squad
- James Bracey (Gloucestershire)
- Zak Crawley (Kent)
- Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
- Ben Foakes (Surrey)
- Lewis Gregory (Somerset)
- Jack Leach (Somerset)
- Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
- Sam Northeast (Hampshire)
- Jamie Porter (Essex)
- Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
- Dom Sibley (Warwickshire)
