Wood and White in for Lions

MARK Wood is set to make his return to competitive action having been added to the England Lions squad for the one-day series against Sri Lanka A next month.

Wood, who will be part of the squad for the one-day series, has been working his way back to full fitness after an ankle operation in October and has been continuing his recovery in South Africa with England cricket’s Pace Programme.

Northants bowler Graeme White has also been added to the squad and fills a vacancy for a left-arm spinner that had been left by the selectors when they named separate squads for the one-day series and the two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A that precede it.

James Whitaker, England cricket’s National Selector, said: “We believe these selections will work well both for the Lions and for the players involved.

“We had always been planning to add a left-arm spinner to the 14 players we named last month for the oneday series, and Graeme White deserves this chance after his performances for in county cricket last summer.

“Mark Wood will also be a valuable addition to the Lions squad, and in his case the one-day series in Sri Lanka is a good opportunity for him to start bowling again in competitive cricket before the North-South series and then the domestic 2017 season.”

The 15-man squad for the two four-day matches against Sri Lanka A in Kandy and Dambulla, which will be preceded by a three-day warm-up match, will leave for Colombo on Monday. The first four-day game begins on February 17 while the first 50-over clash comes on March 2.

For red-ball section: K Jennings (capt), H Hameed, N Gubbins, T Alsop, T Westley, J Clarke, L Livingstone, B Foakes, S Curran, T Curran, T Roland-Jones, T Helm, C Overton, O Rayner, J Leach. For 50-over series v Sri Lanka A: K Jennings (capt), D BellDrummond, T Alsop, B Duckett, J Clarke, L Livingstone, B Foakes, S Curran, T Curran, C Overton, T Helm, J Fuller, O Rayner, J Poysden, G White, M Wood.