Bracey named in England Lions squad for Australia A game
6 July 2019
Gloucestershire Cricket batsman and wicket-keeper James Bracey has been named in the England Lions squad to face Australia A in a four-day match starting on Sunday 14 July.
In form Bracey currently averages 40.50 in the County Championship for Gloucestershire with a top score of 152 against Glamorgan at Spytty Park in May. Bracey is one of four England Lions debutants with openers Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley also selected.
The pair have enjoyed batting at the host venue, Canterbury, in recent weeks – Sibley struck a superb double century for Warwickshire last week, while Crawley averages 49 in his last six innings at his home ground.
Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson is the final uncapped Lion in the squad, which also contains three players with Test match experience – Ben Foakes, Ben Duckett and Jack Leach.
Robinson is joined by the only seamer with more Specsavers County Championship wickets than him in Lewis Gregory. The Somerset all-rounder has been in fine form all season, with his 44 first-class wickets costing just 12 runs apiece, and a batting average of 34 for the Championship leaders.
Lions Head Coach Andy Flower said: “We’re really looking forward to a great challenge against a very experienced Australia A side, some of whom will be looking to stake a claim for Ashes selection.
“We’ve got a very good squad of players travelling with us to Canterbury; one that’s more than capable of delivering a positive result.
“Lions selection is always tricky. We’ve got an eye on the England team’s short-term needs ahead of a busy winter schedule, but we’re looking at some medium- and long-term prospects as well. We also need to respect the counties’ needs during this busy time in the domestic season.
“While some players will be playing at this level for the first time, there is plenty of experience in our squad too. This will be a great learning opportunity for all these players and a chance to test themselves against a strong opposition.”
Gloucestershire Head Coach, Richard Dawson said about Bracey's inclusion: "It's brilliant news, it's well deserved because he's performed very well over the last couple of years and this year he's been in fine form in both red ball and white ball cricket.
I'm very happy for James as are the rest of the coaching staff and the team. He's got the recognition he deserves after some hard work backed up by great performances."
The captain for this match will be announced in due course.
England Lions squad
James Bracey (Gloucestershire)
Zak Crawley (Kent)
Ben Duckett (Nottinghamshire)
Ben Foakes (Surrey)
Lewis Gregory (Somerset)
Jack Leach (Somerset)
Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire)
Sam Northeast (Hampshire)
Jamie Porter (Essex)
Ollie Robinson (Sussex)
Dom Sibley (Warwickshire)
