Sussex’s Harry Finch, Delray Rawlins and Ollie Robinson have been selected in a twelve-man England Cricket Board (ECB) XI squad for a 50-over match against India A at Emerald Headingley on Sunday.
Rahul Dravid’s India A tourists will face an ECB XI in the first match of their England tour at Emerald Headingley on Sunday, as a result of Yorkshire’s progress in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
The Indians, who arrived in London at the weekend and will practice at the Ageas Bowl this week, had been due to play Yorkshire in a 50-over match, one of two county fixtures before a Tri-Series against England Lions and West Indies A which starts in Derby on Friday week (June 22).
But Yorkshire have qualified for the Play-Offs of the Royal London One-Day Cup, and if they win at Essex on Thursday they will earn a Semi-Final against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl next Monday.
The ECB have therefore agreed with Yorkshire and India to provide alternative opposition at Headingley the previous day – and Jon Lewis, the former England and Sussex seamer and Sussex assistant head coach who is now the head coach of the Young Lions programme, will take charge of a team containing some exciting talent.
The 12-man squad was selected from 11 of the 18 first-class counties – excluding the six still involved in the Royal London One-Day Cup and also Warwickshire, who play West Indies A in the opening match of their tour at Edgbaston on Sunday.
It includes five players who were involved on ECB Pathway Programmes last winter and also the North-South Series: Alex Davies, the Lancashire wicketkeeper-batsman who toured with the Lions and played for the North; Zak Chappell and Tom Barber, who trained with the Pace Programme; and Matt Critchley and Rawlins, who received ECB Overseas Placements.
Surrey’s Will Jacks was a member of England’s squad for the ICC Under-19s World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year and has made a number of impressive contributions at first-team level this season, while Gloucestershire’s George Hankins is another former Under-19 international.
Hankins is joined by his county team-mate Ryan Higgins, who has been in excellent form since moving west from Middlesex last winter.
Critchley is joined by his Derbyshire team-mate Ben Slater, a 26-year-old opener from Chesterfield, and Chappell by his Leicestershire team-mate Callum Parkinson, a 21-year-old left-arm spinner whose twin brother Matt has been included in the Lions squad for the Tri-Series.
The squad is completed by two Sussex team-mates of Rawlins who have made a positive impression in the first third of the county season – 23-year-old batsman Harry Finch, and 24-year-old fast bowler Oliver Robinson.
Alex Davies has been appointed captain, and will also keep wicket.
“It’s an exciting-looking squad that we’ve been able to put together at short notice, and a great opportunity for all the lads to make an impression against international opposition,” said Lewis.
ECB XI will be selected from the following 12 - to play India A in a 50-over match at Emerald Headingley, Sunday June 17th (11am start):
Tom Barber - Middlesex
Zak Chappell - Leicestershire
Matt Critchley - Derbyshire
Alex Davies - Lancashire (captain, wicketkeeper)
Harry Finch - Sussex
George Hankins - Gloucestershire
Ryan Higgins - Gloucestershire
Will Jacks - Surrey
Callum Parkinson – Leicestershire
Delray Rawlins - Sussex
Oliver Robinson - Sussex
Ben Slater – Derbyshire
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