Adam Riley and Sam Billings selected for England Lions squad
Tuesday 28th October 2014
Kent's Sam Billings and Adam Riley are included in two provisional 14-man England Lions squads for the tour to South Africa early next year.
The Kent Cricket Academy graduates will feature in separate First Class and one-day legs of the tour which will include two four-day matches and five 50-over matches against South Africa ‘A’.
Spitfire player of the year Billings, 23, is in both squads and spinner Riley, 22, is in the four-day squad after taking 48 LV= County Championship wickets in 2014.
Riley said: "Being in the England Performance Programme was great but I am pleased to be called up for the Lions squad.
"People like Gary Ballance are in the current Test team are in the squad so it will be a great experience for me to around him and players like Jonathan Trott and feed off their experience."
Billings hit 755 runs in the LV= Championship at an average 34.32 and scored 458 runs in nine Royal London One-Day Cup games at an average of 114.50, including the joint-fastest century of the season against Somerset off 46 balls.
He was the fourth-highest scorer in the 50-over competition with the highest average in the country.
The squad will be coached by Sussex CCC’s Mark Robinson, following on from his stint in charge of the Lions in Sri Lanka at the start of this year.
A finalised Lions touring party and the captain will be confirmed after the England World Cup squad announcement in December.
National selector James Whitaker said: “We believe that the 17 players provisionally included across the two Lions squads for the tour to South Africa in the New Year incorporates an excellent mix of international experience alongside fresh young talent.
"For the likes of Sam Billings, Craig Overton and Adam Riley to be playing alongside Sam Robson, Gary Ballance and Jonny Bairstow in a Lions tour is an exciting prospect for the future of English cricket, and I am certain that all of the players will learn a great deal from the experience.
“Jonathan Trott’s exceptional form and run scoring exploits for Warwickshire at the end of the summer has resulted in his selection for the First Class fixtures at the beginning of the tour. Congratulations to him and to all of the players selected.”
Provisional England Lions First Class squad to play against South Africa ‘A’:
Jonny Bairstow, Yorkshire
Gary Ballance, Yorkshire
Sam Billings, Kent
Jack Brooks, Yorkshire
Alex Lees, Yorkshire
Adam Lyth, Yorkshire
Craig Overton, Somerset
Liam Plunkett, Yorkshire
Boyd Rankin, Warwickshire
Adil Rashid, Yorkshire
Adam Riley, Kent
Sam Robson, Middlesex
Jonathan Trott, Warwickshire
James Vince, Hampshire
Provisional England Lions 50-over squad to play against South Africa ‘A’:
Jonny Bairstow, Yorkshire
Gary Ballance, Yorkshire
Sam Billings, Kent
Jack Brooks, Yorkshire
Alex Lees, Yorkshire
Adam Lyth, Yorkshire
Craig Overton, Somerset
Stephen Parry, Lancashire
Samit Patel, Nottinghamshire
Liam Plunkett, Yorkshire
Boyd Rankin, Warwickshire
Adil Rashid,Yorkshire
Jason Roy, Surrey
James Vince, Hampshire
Tour itinerary
5-7 January – SA Invitational XI v England Lions, three-day match, UJ Soweto Oval, Johannesburg
11-15 January – South Africa A v England Lions, four-day match, Boland Park, Paarl
18-21 January – South Africa A v England Lions, four-day match, Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
25 January – South Africa A v England Lions, 50-over match, Chevrolet Park, Bloemfontein
28 January – South Africa A v England Lions, 50-over match, Diamond Oval, Kimberley
31 January – South Africa A v England Lions, 50-over match, Senwes Park, Potchefstroom
2 February – South Africa A v England Lions, 50-over match, Mamelodi, Pretoria
5 February – South Africa A v England Lions, 50-over match, Sahara Willowmoore Park, Benoni