Dan Mousley has been handed the England Lions captaincy for the two red-ball fixtures against South Africa A later this month. The squads meet at Arundel, 22-25 May, before shifting to Beckenham, 29 May-1 June.
The ECB confirmed a 15-strong group on Wednesday, mixing familiar Lions names with several first-time call-ups. Mousley, fresh from seven white-ball caps in the Caribbean two winters ago, heads a side that also includes Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Tom Lawes, Mitchell Stanley and Asa Tribe – all part of last winter’s tour of Australia.
Essex opener Charlie Allison and Middlesex quick Naavya Sharma, 20, are among seven newcomers. Sharma’s late-burst spell at Old Trafford last week dragged Middlesex to a rare away win and clearly caught the selectors’ eye. Somerset left-armer Alfie Ogborne slots in for the first match only; Sussex seamer Henry Crocombe replaces him for the second.
Performance director Ed Barney believes the blend is right. “We have selected an exciting squad that brings together those players that are potentially next in line for England selection, alongside some of the most exciting talent in the game,” he said. “We have a core of players who toured Australia with the Lions in the winter as well as new names who have been rewarded for their form in the Rothesay County Championship this season. These matches provide an opportunity to perform and execute their skills against a strong international side.”
The scheduling overlaps with the opening round of the Vitality Blast, underlining the Test-centric mood inside the ECB after the 4-1 Ashes defeat. County coaches have been warned in advance; most, privately, accept the trade-off if it accelerates red-ball development.
A reciprocal trip to South Africa is pencilled in for December – three 50-over games and two four-dayers – so several in this squad should pack their passports again before Christmas. Performances over the next fortnight will go a long way to deciding who that is.
England Lions squad
Dan Mousley (capt), Charlie Allison, Henry Crocombe, Eddie Jack, Ben Geddes, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Tom Lawes, Alfie Ogborne, Liam Patterson-White, James Sales, Naavya Sharma, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe, James Wharton.
*Crocombe selected for second match only; Ogborne for first.
In a season already crammed with white-ball distractions, the Lions’ mini-series offers a timely examination of England’s next wave of red-ball hopefuls. The stage is set; it is now up to the players to make the selectors’ lives awkward in the best possible way.
