Dan Mousley has been named as England Lions captain for a two-match red-ball series against South Africa A, with two four-day matches set to take place at Arundel from May 22-25 and Beckenham from May 29-June 1.

Mousley, who played for England in seven white-ball matches in the Caribbean in 2024, will lead a 15-man squad that features five players who were a part of the Lions’ tour of Australia in the winter – Eddie Jack, Ben McKinney, Tom Lawes, Mitchell Staney and Asa Tribe.

There are seven new call-ups to the squad, including the young Essex opener Charlie Allison, and Middlesex’s 20-year-old fast bowler Naavya Sharma who bowled his side to victory over Lancashire at Old Trafford last week. Somerset’s left-arm seamer Alfie Ogborne is included for the first match only, with Sussex’s Henry Crocombe joining the squad for the second match.

The timing of the series clashes with the opening rounds of this year’s Vitality Blast, which reflects the ECB’s current focus on reviving their Test fortunes after this winter’s 4-1 Ashes loss.

“We have selected an exciting squad that brings together those players that are potentially next in line for England selection, alongside some of the most exciting talent in the game,” England Men’s Performance Director, Ed Barney, said.

“We have a core of players who toured Australia with the Lions in the winter as well as new names who have been rewarded for their form in the Rothesay County Championship this season. These matches provide an opportunity to perform and execute their skills against a strong international side.”

Many of the players will expect to feature in England Lions’ reciprocal tour of South Africa, with a three-match 50-over series and two four-day games scheduled to take place between December 1 and 21.

England Lions squad: Dan Mousley (capt), Charlie Allison, Henry Crocombe, Eddie Jack, Ben Geddes, Ben Mayes, Ben McKinney, Tom Lawes, Alfie Ogborne, Liam Patterson-White, James Sales, Naavya Sharma, Mitchell Stanley, Asa Tribe, James Wharton