England Under-19s squad for West Indies series announced

Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell and Hampshire’s Tom Prest will skipper England Under-19s in the six-match ODI series while Sussex’s 17-year-old spinner Archie Lenham has also been included

England Under-19s have named an 18-strong squad for their upcoming six-match ODI series against West Indies Under-19s.

The home series, which is scheduled to begin on September 4 at Beckenham, will mark the first time the Under-19s team has been in action since the 2020 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup. ECB elite pathway coach, Richard Dawson, will lead the team.

Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell and Hampshire’s Tom Prest will skipper the side while Sussex’s 17-year-old spinner Archie Lenham, who has taken 19 white-ball wickets this season, is also included.

In total, 11 counties are represented in the squad, with Lancashire, Sussex and Somerset leading the way with three players apiece.

^{Jacob Bethell (L), Tom Prest (C), and Archie Lenham (R)}

Dawson said: "I’m excited to see the group in action and to see how they fare against their international peers. It’s a big opportunity for the players, and it’s their first step on the international pathway.

"It’s testament to the quality of our young players that we may lose a few during the series, should they be called into their county’s first team squad. We’ll be communicating and collaborating with the counties throughout and we’ve selected a group to cover that eventuality, and we’re looking forward to getting going."

England Under-19s squad to face West Indies: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Tom Aspinwall (Lancashire), Sonny Baker (Somerset), Nathan Barnwell (Surrey), George Bell (Lancashire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Josh Boyden (Lancashire), James Coles (Sussex), Alex Horton (Glamorgan), Dan Ibrahim, Archie Lenham (both Sussex), Will Luxton (Yorkshire), Harry Petrie, Tom Prest (both Hampshire), James Rew (Somerset), James Sales (Northants), Fateh Singh (Nottinghamshire), George Thomas (Somerset)

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