The England selectors today announced two provisional 14-man England Lions squads for the tour to South Africa early next year.
The squads will cover 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’.
Sam Robson (Middlesex), Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire) and Kent’s young off-spinner Adam Riley, have all been included in the Lions squad for the two First Class matches at the start of the tour. They will be replaced in the one-day squad by Lancashire’s Stephen Parry, Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire) and Jason Roy (Surrey).
Yorkshire CCC’s opening pair Adam Lyth and Alex Lees are two of seven Yorkshire players included in both the multi-day and one-day Lions squads. They are joined by fellow batsmen Jonny Bairstow and Gary Ballance, and the bowling trio of Jack Brooks, Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid.
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’:
Name | County |
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’:
Name | County |
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 |
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