Minor Counties youngsters in England Under-19s squad

Devon’s Tom Lammonby, who is a member of the Somerset Academy, has been appointed England’s captain for the matches at Scarborough and Emirates Riverside.

The Berkshire pair of Jack Davies and Ethan Bamber - who are both on the Middlesex Academy - Staffordshire and Warwickshire batsman Liam Banks and Oxfordshire and Sussex off-spinner Harrison Ward complete the strong Minor Counties contingent in the England squad.

In addition Gloucestershire batsman Greg Willows, who played his formative county cricket in Dorset’s youth teams, is also in the squad. Willows, the son of former Sussex seamer Alan, is one of four uncapped players in the Test party. 

Lammonby - who has been named in Devon’s squad for their Minor Counties Championship opener against Wales at Sandford on Sunday -  Banks, Davies and Bamber were all part of England’s ICC Under-19s World Cup during the winter although Lammonby missed the tournament after he broke a hand in training.

Wicketkeeper Davies and seamer Bamber have also played Minor Counties cricket this season. Banks and Ward represented their native counties last season.

England will prepare for the South Africa series with a two-day match against the Unicorns from July 3 to 4 before the first Test at Scarborough from July 8 to 11 with the second Test at Chester-le-Street from July 16 to 19. 

Meanwhile another member of last winter’s World Cup squad, slow left-armer Prem Sisodiya, who has played Minor Counties cricket for Wales this season, is making his first-class debut for  Glamorgan in their current Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Swansea.

Staffordshire seamer Mitch Spencer made his List A debut for Worcestershire in their defeat by West Indies A at New Road yesterday along with former Shropshire batsman Olly Westbury and former Herefordshire wicketkeeper Alex Milton.

Former Lincolnshire batsman Jonny Tattersall is making the most of his second chance in county cricket with Yorkshire having made a career-best 89 in their Royal London One Day Cup semi-final defeat by Hampshire on Monday 

Tattersall played for England Under-19s but made only one List A appearance for Yorkshire before he was released at the end of the 2015 season. 

But he scored heavily for Lincolnshire in 2016 and 2017 and while he was on trial with Derbyshire then was taken back onto the staff by Yorkshire on an initial short-term contract during last season.

By Paul Bolton, courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network.