Vince, Duckett, Finn included in England Lions squad

James Vince will lead a strong and experienced England Lions squad in a three-match one-day series against South Africa A next month.

The squad has four players who have played for England's full ODI side - Vince, Liam Dawson, Ben Duckett and Steven Finn - and six players who toured Sri Lanka during the winter with the Lions. There are also places for Essex young middle order batsman Dan Lawrence and Sussex's left-arm bowler George Garton, the latter of whom played for the Lions against Pakistan A and Sri Lanka A last summer.

It is the selection of Lawrence which is perhaps most interesting. It is his first call-up for the Lions although he did, alongside Garton, play in the ICC Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh last year. Lawrence has been in good form this season and scored 141 not out against Lancashire in April - their attack included James Anderson - to save the game for Essex as well as a half-century against Champions Middlesex.

For the likes of Duckett and Finn, both of whom were included in the senior squad for two ODIs against Ireland, it is an opportunity to keep on top of their one-day skills in case there is an injury to one of the members of England's Champions Trophy squad and they are required to fill in. Middlesex's highly rated opener Dawid Malan, who was selected for the full T20 squad last summer, although he did not play, is also included in the Lions squad.

Lancashire's Liam Livingstone, who scored 473 runs for the Lions in Sri Lanka, also receives a call-up and Surrey provide three players to the squad with Sam and Tom Curran, the latter of whom was called up to the England squad for the ODI series against the West Indies earlier this year, and wicket-keeper Ben Foakes. Hampshire, Northants, Lancashire, Somerset, Middlesex, Essex and Sussex are the other counties represented.

James Whitaker, the National Selector, said: "We wanted to select a strong and experienced Lions squad for this series, as it coincides with the early stages of the ICC Champions Trophy, and therefore provides us with the opportunity to keep our standby players in white-ball action.

"The quality of the squad we have selected reflects well on the strength in depth we now have in 50-over cricket which has emerged through the county game. All the players in this squad will have the 2019 World Cup in their sights, and playing for the Lions offers them the platform to show what they can do.

"In addition to his considerable captaincy experience with Hampshire, Vince has led the Lions before, to an excellent series victory against South Africa A in early 2015 and again when they played 50-over and T20 series against Pakistan A in Dubai in the winter of 2015-16 - and he also impressed in captaining the South to victory in the North-South Series earlier this year. He is a good tactical reader of the game.

"We were also mindful in selecting this squad that the series coincides with an important round of matches in the Specsavers County Championship. As ever we are grateful to the counties for their support, and for appreciating the importance of the Lions programme in developing players for international cricket."

The Lions series starts at Trent Bridge on June 1 with the remaining two games at Northampton on June 3 and 5, the latter a day-night fixture. The Lions also play a four-day game against South Africa A from June 21-24, and then a three-day match against the senior South Africa tourists in Worcester from June 29 - July 1, with squads for those matches to be named next month.

Squad: Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Daniel Bell-Drummond, James Vince (c), Liam Livingstone, Liam Dawson, Ben Foakes (wk), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Craig Overton, Steven Finn, Dan Lawrence, George Garton.

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