Bairstow given chance to impress with Lions

The 24-year-old batsman/wicketkeeper has been named in a 13-man party for the matches that take place in early August.

Bairstow is set to miss a handful of Royal London One-Day Cup games depending on when he is required to join the squad.

England play their first match on August 6 against Sri Lanka A at Taunton and their last against New Zealand A at Worcester on August 12.

They also meet New Zealand A at Bristol on August 8 and Sri Lanka A at Worcester on August 11.

Yorkshire play one-day fixtures against Northants at Wantage Road (August 5), Worcestershire at Headingley (August 7), Leicestershire at Grace Road (August 8), Essex at Scarborough (August 11) and Derbyshire at Scarborough (August 13).

Their next County Championship match is against Sussex at Scarborough from August 15.

The Lions will be led by James Taylor and coached by former England chief Andy Flower, who is now the England and Wales Cricket Board’s technical director of elite coaching.

National selector James Whitaker said it would give the players “the perfect opportunity to impress the selectors in the 50-over format of the game” ahead of the ICC World Cup.

Squad: J Taylor (Notts, capt), J Bairstow (Yorkshire), R Bopara (Essex), S Finn (Middlesex), S Parry (Lancashire), Harry Gurney (Notts), A Hales (Notts), C Overton (Somerset), J Roy (Surrey), R Patel (Middlesex), T Smith (Lancashire), J Vince (Hampshire), D Willey (Northants).