Tom Banton will lead England Under-19s in their international series against South Africa, which starts in Scarborough on Sunday, after his Somerset team-mate Tom Lammonby was ruled out with injury.
Lammonby, who missed the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year after suffering a hand injury in practice, was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his heel after making 45 in the warm-up match against the Minor Counties Unicorns on Tuesday, and has returned to Somerset for treatment.
Banton, a hard-hitting batsman who is one of only five members of this England squad who played in the World Cup, made two T20 appearances for Somerset last season, and has also made seven List A appearances.
Two more players from the 14-man squad originally selected for the two unofficial Tests against the South Africans have withdrawn because of injury: Ethan Bamber, the Middlesex seamer who impressed in the World Cup campaign, has an abdominal strain; and Greg Willows has returned to Gloucestershire after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back.
In addition Jamie Smith, the 17-year-old Surrey batsman who had been due to play for an Invitational XI against the South Africans in Loughborough this week, was not considered after being included in Surrey’s senior squad for the opening stages of the Vitality Blast – and making his debut against Middlesex at Lord’s on Thursday night.
He joins several other eligible players who are either injured or have been left to play for their counties, including Yorkshire’s Harry Brook, Warwickshire’s Henry Brookes, Worcestershire’s Dillon Pennington, Surrey’s Will Jacks and Durham’s Matt Potts.
Four players have been added to the England squad to travel to Scarborough on Friday: Ben Charlesworth, a left-hander from Gloucestershire who scored a century for an Invitational XI against the South Africans in Loughborough this week; George Lavelle, a wicketkeeper-batsman from Lancashire who also impressed in that game; Sam Conners, a Derbyshire seamer who was a late call-up for the Invitational XI; and Nick Kimber, another seamer from the Nottinghamshire Academy who was drafted into the England Under-19s team for their preparation match against the Unicorns after impressing in practice.
England U-19s will play two four-day Tests against South Africa, before three unofficial ODIs towards the end of July.
England Under-19s squad Tom Banton (capt), Liam Banks, Ben Charlesworth, Sam Conners, Jack Davies, Adam Finch, Alfie Gleadall, Jack Haynes, Luke Hollman, Nick Kimber, George Lavelle, Jack Plom, Hamidullah Qadri, Ollie Robinson, Harrison Ward
Source: ESPN Crickinfo