Tuesday 14 January 2020 11:39, UK
Lewis Gregory has been named as England Lions captain for their tour of Australia, which gets under way next month.
The Somerset all-rounder will lead the Lions in both the 50-over and longer format schedule, which includes a four-day match against Australia A under floodlights at the MCG.
The 27-year-old, who featured in the senior England side's recent T20I series against New Zealand, has previously led the Lions in games against Pakistan and Australia.
Tom Abell - who is Gregory's captain at county level - will act as vice-captain for the white-ball series, with Lancashire opener Keaton Jennings taking over as deputy in four-day cricket.
"It's an honour to be chosen to captain the Lions again and I'm looking forward to a great challenge in Australia," said Gregory.
"I'm fortunate to have some good experience around me, including Tom and Keaton, my vice-captains.
"It's important to have reliable people to turn to for advice, as well as players who have experience of playing in Australian conditions, such as Mason Crane, Craig Overton and Richard Gleeson.
"It promises to be a tough but rewarding tour and one that will help all of us improve our games in unfamiliar conditions."
The 23-man squad, coached by former England spinner Richard Dawson, will leave for Australia next week, with their first game a 50-over clash against a Cricket Australia XI on February 2.
Ex-England batsmen Marcus Trescothick and Jonathan Trott accompany the Lions as batting coaches, while Tim Bresnan and Moeen Ali will also spend time with the players at a training camp in Loughborough ahead of their departure Down Under.
