England Youth cricketers arrive to play ODI series

The England under 19 cricket team arrived yesterday (22) to play 5 Youth ODI series against Sri Lanka under 19 team and this series mainly will focus on preparation for the forthcoming World Under 19 World Cup held in West Indies .

The five ODI series is scheduled to be played at SSC grounds starting first unofficial ODI from November 30 followed by four matches on December 3,5,8 and 10. All matches and practice sessions will be conducted in a bio-secure environment.

Sri Lanka under 19 team led by Dunith Wellalage recorded 5-0 series win over recently concluded Bangladesh match series are looking to get more match exposure before the world cup and this is going to be ideal opportunity for them.

Sri Lanka 20 member squad already made four changes from last Bangladesh series moved into their bio-bubble on last Thursday and commenced practices yesterday.

Ryan Fernando, Harindu Jayasekera, Lahiru Dewatage and Jeewaka Shasheen, have been dropped to make way for Abhishek Liyanarachchi (D.S. Senanayake College), Ranuda Somaratne (Trinity College, Kandy), Anjala Bandara (St Anthony’s College, Kandy) and Sakuna Liyanage (Lumbini College) for this new look squad for the English series.

Meanwhile, Nathan Barnwell, the 18-year-old pace bowler and lower order batter, who signed a contract with English county Surrey last month, will take part in his second series with the Under-19s after playing four times in the West Indies tour of England in September.

England Under-19 squad for Sri Lanka: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire), Tom Aspinwall (Lancashire), Josh Baker (Worcestershire), Sonny Baker (Somerset), Nathan Barnwell (Surrey), George Bell (Lancashire), Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire), Josh Boyden (Lancashire), Ben Cliff (Yorkshire), James Coles (Sussex), Harry Crawshaw (Durham), Alex Horton (Glamorgan), Dan Ibrahim (Sussex), Will Luxton (Yorkshire), Tom Prest (Hampshire), James Rew (Somerset), James Sales (Northamptonshire).