Capsey, Gibson named in England A squads for multi-format Aussie tour

Alice Capsey and Dani Gibson are among a quintet of England’s recent Ashes squad members who have been named in an ‘A’ squad to tour Australia this month.

The England A squad for the tour, which will follow the same format as the Ashes with three T20Is, three one-dayers and a four-day game, is comprised of young talent as England look to plot their path forward following their 0-16 Ashes shellacking in January.

Twenty-year-old Capsey, who played all three one-dayers and one T20 during the Ashes, is the most experienced member of the touring party at international level, with 61 senior appearances for England to her name.

Gibson, Bess Heath, Freya Kemp and Ryana MacDonald-Gay are the other Ashes squad members named in the ‘A’ side. Of those, only Kemp (three T20Is) and MacDonald-Gay (Test) took the field during the series.

Capsey and Gibson, who will feature in the 50-over and four-day legs, are coming off the Women’s Premier League in India, where they have been part of the Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Giants squads respectively but have had little game time, playing one match apiece.

England A will be led by ECB performance batting coach Jon Lewis – confusingly, not the same Jon Lewis who is coach of England’s senior women’s team and a former Gloucestershire and England fast bowler, but instead the former Essex and Durham batter who is currently head coach at Trent Rockets.

Also named is promising batter Paige Scholfield, who was forced to withdraw from England’s tour to South Africa last November, and who was retained by Oval Invincibles in this week’s The Hundred draft in the highest price bracket at $A134,000.

The England A squad will depart for Sydney on March 17, with captaincy announcements to follow.

"We are looking forward to testing ourselves against a national side with great depth," Lewis said.

"We are aware of the challenge ahead.

"There has been some good work done by the players based in England and those who have been playing cricket over the winter around the world and this tour provides an opportunity for players to push for selection into the senior squad through strong performances against the Australians."

Australia named their ‘A’ squads for the multi-format tour last week, with CA-contracted allrounder Heather Graham to lead the T20 side, while recent Australia T20 call-up Nicole Faltum will lead the one-day side, and Queensland allrounder Charli Knott will skipper the red-ball match.

Meanwhile, the England and Wales Cricket Board have yet to provide an update on their review into their disastrous Ashes campaign, where head coach Lewis and captain Heather Knight’s futures were among the issues set to be examined.

England A squads

England A T20 squad: Hollie Armitage, Georgia Davis, Mahika Gaur, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Emma Jones, Freya Kemp, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Bryony Smith, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

England A 50-over squad: Hollie Armitage, Alice Capsey, Georgia Davis, Mahika Gaur, Danielle Gibson, Kirstie Gordon, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Emma Jones, Freya Kemp, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Bryony Smith, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

England A four-day squad: Hollie Armitage, Alice Capsey, Georgia Davis, Danielle Gibson, Kirstie Gordon, Jodi Grewcock, Bess Heath, Freya Kemp, Charis Pavely, Grace Potts, Paige Scholfield, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Alexa Stonehouse, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong

Australia A v England A

Australia A T20 squad: Heather Graham (c), Charli Knott (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Anika Learoyd, Rhys McKenna, Madeline Penna, Amy Smith, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson (wk)

Australia A 50-over squad: Nicole Faltum (c/wk), Charli Knott (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Amy Smith, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson

Australia A Four-Day squad: Charli Knott (c), Nicole Faltum (vc/wk), Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Lilly Mills, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson

First T20 | March 26: Hurstville Oval, Sydney, 1pm AEDT

Second T20 | March 28: Hurstville Oval, Sydney, 1pm AEDT

Third T20 | March 30: Hurstville Oval, Sydney, 1pm AEDT

First OD| April 2: Cricket Central, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Second OD| April 4: Cricket Central, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Third OD| April 7: Cricket Central, Sydney, 9.45am AEST

Four-day game | April 12-15: Cricket Central, Sydney, 9.30am AEST