Dernbach and Meaker in the England Lions

For the four day match, the squad is:

James Taylor (Leicestershire) (Capt.)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Jack Brooks (Northants)
Jade Dernbach (Surrey)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Craig Kieswetter (Somerset)
Stuart Meaker (Surrey)
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
Joe Root (Yorkshire)

And the one-day squad is:

James Taylor (Leicestershire) (Capt.)
Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire)
Ravi Bopara (Essex)
Scott Borthwick (Durham)
Danny Briggs (Hampshire)
Steven Finn (Middlesex)
Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire)
James Harris (Glamorgan)
Stuart Meaker (Surrey)
Chris Nash (Sussex)
Ben Stokes (Durham)
Chris Woakes (Warwickshire)

Both seem to be emphasising youth (a lot of Lions debutants and no Hildreth etc.), but it is still very good for Meaker, although the England selectors seem to have missed a trick by selecting the post-injury Meaker who is struggling for his Surrey place.

Regardless of his performance in the last couple of games it is very good to see him selected, hopefully he will learn a lot from the experience.

Due to their hard work and success at times since the end of last season, I congratulate both Jade Dernbach and Stuart Meaker on their call ups and wish them well.

However, the timing leaves me rather scratching my head. They have both rather gone off the boil for us recently. In particular, both had a poor CC game against Middlesex, certainly leaving Meaker's Surrey place in doubt for our next CC game (as jbd observes).

Hopefully, this selection will revitalise the two of them.

Thought for the day. In cricket - as in life - you get what you deserve. However, the timings of the getting and the deserving do not always coincide ....

Very philosophical Guildford

When is the four day match taking place, please, and against what opposition? Apologies for asking, but I did try and Google for the answer, and the first result was this page!

Update: found the answers with a bit more foraging: 2nd August, in Scarborough, against Sri Lanka A http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/england/england-lions/taylor-to-lead-lions,315144,EN.html

Does this mean that they won't be able to play in out next CC game from 27th-30th July? Could leave us very weak if not.

Carrot - Always pretty impossible to second guess the workings of the ECB but I would have thought they would be ok to play for us in the CC game against Gloucs starting this Wednesday. Even if that game runs its full four day course, they would still get two full days off before the England Lions match.

Assuming they both make the starting XI for the England Lions, they will though miss our CB 40 match at home to Northants on Wednesday 3rd August.

From his inclusion in the one day XII, Meaker will also miss our CC game away to Kent comm Wed 10th August, the CB 40 game at Northants on Mon 15th and possibly the CB 40 game away to Warwicks on Wed 17th.

Don't suppose Jordan and Clive will be too unhappy ....

Meaker missing the one day games isn't too much of an issue, however I would still like to have him in the CC side but hopefully he will work on his game and improve during his time with the Lions.