England Lions name squad for Aussie tour

English legspinner Mason Crane has been named in the England Lions squad for January's tour of Australia, where he became NSW's first overseas player in 33 years in 2017.

Crane, 22, has been included in the 23-player group who will contest five 50-over matches against Cricket Australia and NSW XIs.

The Hampshire cricketer knows Australian conditions well, having impressed to such an extent in Sydney Grade Cricket in 2017 that he became NSW' first overseas player since former Pakistan captain Imran Khan in the 1984-85 season when he played a Sheffield Shield match against South Australia.

Crane, whose only Test cap came against Australia in Sydney in January 2018, joins international trio Lewis Gregory, Craig Overton and Dom Bess, as well as County captain Tom Abell in the squad.

The Lions also welcome back England's two most-recent Test debutants for the red-ball leg of the tour, with Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley joining the squad at the end of the Test series in South Africa.

The pair opened the batting against Australia A in the Lions match at Canterbury this summer.

The Lions will face Australia A, a Cricket Australia XI and a NSW XI in three four-day matches in the second half of the tour, which includes a day/night match against Australia A at the MCG.

Gloucestershire's Richard Dawson will serve as head coach for the eight-match tour.