England Young Lions to tour Sri Lanka ahead of Under-19 World Cup

Richard Dawson will oversee the 19-man travelling party, which includes representatives from 13 counties

England Young Lions will tour Sri Lanka later this month with a squad that includes 13 youngsters already with first-team experience at county level.

The five-match limited-over series will form part of the squad’s preparation ahead of the Under-19 World Cup, which will take place in the Caribbean in January.

All five ODIs will take place at the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo, with Richard Dawson overseeing the 19-man travelling party. Thirteen counties are represented among those selected.

Dawson, the Young Lions head coach, said: “It’s a great opportunity for our squad to experience touring the sub-continent. It will give them a chance to play in a pressurised environment against their international peers in unfamiliar conditions.

“This trip is an integral part of their future development and will also provide good preparation leading into the ICC Men's U19s World Cup in the Caribbean starting in January 2022.”

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed impressed for Leicestershire in the Royal London Cup, while left-arm spinner Josh Baker ended the campaign as Worcestershire’s principal spinner after breaking through.

James Coles and Dan Ibrahim both benefited from Sussex’s focus on youth, playing important roles for the county across all competitions, with James Sales – son of Northamptonshire legend David – making his debut towards the end of the summer. Sonny Baker, a seamer like Sales, made waves for Somerset, while James Rew and George Thomas, both 17, made their debuts for Somerset.

Young Lions Squad: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Tom Aspinwall (Lancashire), Josh Baker (Worcestershire), Sonny Baker (Somerset), Nathan Barnwell (Surrey), George Bell (Lancashire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Josh Boyden (Lancashire), Ben Cliff (Yorkshire), James Coles (Sussex), Harry Crawshaw (Durham), Alex Horton (Glamorgan), Dan Ibrahim (Sussex), Will Luxton (Yorkshire), Tom Prest (Hampshire), James Rew (Somerset), James Sales (Northamptonshire), Fateh Singh (Nottinghamshire), George Thomas (Somerset)

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