Surrey fast-bowler Alex French has been named in the England U19s tour of South Africa starting next week.
Earlier in the summer, fast bowler French featured in one of the two U19 Tests between England and Sri Lanka, collecting four wickets in the contest at Wormsley.
French joined the Surrey pathway at U14 level and was named in the Surrey Academy this year. He was also a part of the Surrey U18 side that won the Vitality U18 County T20 Boys Competition, taking two for nine in the final.
The 6’5” bowler plays his club cricket for Esher and joined Cranleigh School this year. His younger brother is also on the Talent Pathway in the Under 14 age group.
Somerset all-rounder Archie Vaughan will captain England Men U19s for the first time on their upcoming tour of South Africa. Vaughan will lead an 18-man squad across three Youth ODIs and two Youth Test matches.
The squad will fly out on Thursday 9 January with the opening Youth ODI at Cape Town on Friday 17 January. The two-match Test series begins in Stellenbosch on Sunday 26 January before the second Youth Test in Cape Town starting Monday 3 February.
Young Lions Head Coach, Michael Yardy, said: “After putting in a lot of purposeful work on really good camp before Christmas, we get the opportunity to play against South Africa Under-19s, which will be very exciting for the boys competing in an England shirt.”
England Men U19s squad for tour of South Africa:
Archie Vaughan (Somerset – captain)
Farhan Ahmed (Nottinghamshire)
Tazeem Ali (Warwickshire)
Ben Dawkins (Kent)
Kesh Fonseka (Lancashire – Test squad only)
Alex French (Surrey)
Alex Green (Leicestershire)
Jack Home (Worcestershire)
James Isbell (Middlesex)
Eddie Jack (Hampshire)
Ben Mayes (Hampshire)
James Minto (Durham)
Harry Moore (Derbyshire)
Joe Moores (Lancashire – ODIs only)
Thomas Rew (Somerset)
Aaryan Sawant (Middlesex)
Naavya Sharma (Middlesex)
Alexander Wade (Yorkshire)
England Men U19s tour schedule in South Africa:
Tuesday 14 January: 50-over warm-up – England Men U19s v Western Province CC, Cape Town.
Friday 17 January: 1st Youth ODI – England Men U19s v South Africa Men U19s, Western Province CC, Cape Town
Sunday 19 January: 2nd Youth ODI – England Men U19s v South Africa Men U19s, Western Province CC, Cape Town
Wednesday 22 January: 3rd Youth ODI – England Men U19s v South Africa Men U19s, Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch
Sunday 26 January – 29 January: 1st Youth Test – England Men U19s v South Africa Men U19s, Coetzenburg CC, Stellenbosch
Monday 3 February – 6 February: 2nd Youth Test – England Men U19s v South Africa Men U19s, Western Province CC, Cape Town
