'Let's create some headlines': Lions debutant Matty Revis wants to give England a rough pre-Ashes ride

The 23-year-old from Steeton is in Australia on his first tour with the England Lions, the nation’s second-string who will provide Brendan McCullum’s senior squad with their only warm-up before the Ashes begins in Perth on November 21.

England have been criticised in certain quarters for only having the one tune-up before battle commences, with Graham Gooch telling The Yorkshire Post the preparation was “inadequate”.

Such conjecture is beyond the control of Revis, whose form for Yorkshire this summer caught the eye of his Northern Superchargers head coach Andrew Flintoff - who also leads the Lions this winter.

Revis’s only job is improving his own England chances by excelling for the Lions - even if that is against his own team at Perth’s picturesque Lilac Hill ground from Thursday to Saturday next week.

“That will certainly be an interesting game to be a part of. I’m not really sure how that will play out,” said Revis, no stranger to pitches in Australia at this time of year following a previous winter playing grade cricket on the Gold Coast.

“It could be interesting if we turn them over and a few newspaper articles start flying around.

“I can’t wait to get started. It’s going to be good to work with new coaches and see what they have to offer. Neil Killeen as bowling coach, for one. You can just take little nuggets from everyone.

“I’m always looking to get better, and to experience new conditions will certainly help.”

Revis got a ticket to Australia by virtue of a strong summer for Yorkshire in Rothesay County Championship Division One.

He was named as the Yorkshire members’ player-of-the-year for 2025, primarily for his 766 runs from 11 matches.

And it was his form in mid-summer - three centuries in succession, two in home victories over Essex and Sussex and one against the defending champions Surrey - that caught the eye of Flintoff.

“It was very surreal,” says Revis of how the call-up came about.

“I got the call on the night of day two against Durham at Headingley at the end of the season.

“I was in bed actually, and I got a FaceTime audio call from an unknown number. Not knowing who it was, I let it ring out and then checked the number and realised it was Fred having been with him in the Hundred.

“So, yeah, I was really happy, and very proud.”

Like many young cricketers his age, Flintoff is a player the Sedbergh School graduate admires.

“Fred is someone I’ve looked up to since I was young and the kind of player I aim to be like,” said Revis.

“He said to me during the Hundred, ‘Look, I know where you’re batting is at the moment, but I really feel like we can take your bowling to the next level’.

“Hopefully that’s what can happen this winter.”

Of his form with the bat for Yorkshire, that began with a good knock against leaders Notts at Trent Bridge, Revis continued: “I had that very good month from the end of June and through into July.

“I was a bit frustrated I couldn’t finish the season the same way, but it was definitely a good summer for me.

“It all kind of stemmed from that 93 at Trent Bridge. And the Surrey game at Scarborough, in particular, was a pleasing one.

“Against Essex at York, we’d obviously lost a few wickets and myself and Coady came together when we were under a bit of pressure. I remember not thinking about technique. It was just about how could we put pressure back on them.”

On being voted player of the year by Yorkshire’s members, Revis added: “They’re the people who watch you week in and week out, showing their support.

"They see you at your best but also on your bad days and how you bounce back.

"That was also something that I was very proud of.”

And Revis was quick to hail his fellow rising Yorkshire star George Hill, who many felt was unlucky not to be included on the Lions tour. Instead, the 24-year-old who took 51 wickets in the County Championship this summer - the fourth best in the competition – will represent England at this weekend’s Hong Kong Sixes event.

Revis said: “Hilly’s someone who does it all for the team. He leaves nothing out on the pitch. He fields at first slip, he bats and with the ball runs in all day and does whatever job’s needed.

“Two or three years ago, he kind of got the dog work with the ball – bowling up to the new ball and stuff like that. But now he has got a harder ball in his hand, you can really see his skill and quality.

“He’s only going to get better and better. He’s a phenomenal cricketer who has the world at his feet.”