Charlie Dean to lead England A against India A

Off-spinning allrounder Charlie Dean will lead the 13-member England A squad in the T20 series against India A, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced on Friday (November 24). The three-match series will start on November 29 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Apart from Dean, there are six other capped internationals in the squad with pace trio of Issy Wong, Lauren Filer and Mahika Gaur headlining the pace bowling department. Allrounders Freya Kemp, Mady Villiers and left-arm spinner Kirstie Gordon are the other players with internaitonal experience. The squad was picked from the 21-member training camp that's going on in Oman from November 12 to 25.

"We’re all thoroughly looking forward to the forthcoming T20 fixtures in India. We’ve enjoyed a very productive camp in Oman; the group have trained well, worked hard and really come together as a team," Michael Bates, England A head coach, said.

22-year-old Dean has the experience of leading London Spirit in the absence of current England skipper Heather Knight during the second season of The Hundred Women's Competition. Grace Scrivens, who took England to the final of the inaugural Under-19 World Cup, is also part of the squad.

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Allrounder Alice Davidson-Richards withdrew from the tour and remained in UK following a family bereavement. Thunder's Liberty Heap suffered a fracture to her clavicle during the Oman training camp.

Northern Diamonds and Northern Superchargers player Hollie Armitage, young wicketkeepers Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, leg-spinner Hannah Baker and pacer Ryana MacDonald-Gay are the other members of the squad.

India A have also announced a squad of 16 players with allrounder Minnu Mani as the skipper. Only five capped internationals are there in the India side with a collective experience of 12 international caps.

Left-arm pacer Natasha Farrant will continue her return to competitive bowling alongside the senior squad in Oman. The extended A training squad members Georgia Davis, Grace Potts, Kalea Moore and Sophie Munro will also be part of the training camp that will go on till December 2. The senior side for the T20I series and the one-off Test match will depart to India on December 2.

"It’s been brilliant exposure for the England Women A players to have the opportunity to work alongside the England Women performance coaches as well as integrating with the senior players. It’s brought another element to our preparation and has enhanced the growth of the group. These three fixtures against India A will be a great way of testing our skills and our ability to compete and will undoubtedly provide another exciting learning opportunity for the players," Bates concluded.

England A squad: Charlie Dean (c), Hollie Armitage, Hannah Baker, Lauren Filer, Mahika Gaur, Kirstie Gordon, Freya Kemp, Ryana MacDonald-Gay, Grace Scrivens, Seren Smale, Rhianna Southby, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong