Ben Duckett has been named in a 13-player squad for England Lions’ two Royal London 50-over internationals against South Africa starting on 12 July at Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton.

The Nottinghamshire top-order batter averages 69.5 across 11 innings in First-Class cricket with two hundreds and five half-centuries in 2022, as well as amassing 396 runs in the Vitality Blast, including three fifties. 

In 2021, the left-hander scored 383 white-ball runs at 34.81 for his county, before captaining Welsh Fire in The Hundred, scoring 232 runs, making him the second highest run scorer in the competition.

Duckett has previously made One Day International appearances for England on their 2016-17 tour of Bangladesh, hitting two fifties in three innings with a top score of 63.

He was also called up to England’s squad for their ODI series against Pakistan last year, prior to earning T20 franchise contracts in Australia and Pakistan.

In 2016, he scored 220* for England Lions as he and Daniel Bell-Drummond chalked up the then second-highest List A partnership - 367.

“Whenever you get the call to represent your country, it is a special feeling,” Duckett said. 

“There is so much strength in depth in English white-ball cricket at the moment, so to be given this opportunity feels like the reward for hard work over a long period of time. 

“And it’s a reflection of the environment at Notts, too, where I feel like I’ve developed my game across formats in the last few years.

“Naturally, you want to perform well for your country and contribute to winning performances, and there is always that drive inside to push for even higher honours, so hopefully I can make an impact in this series.”

The Lions’ second game of the series, on 14 July, will take place at New Road, Worcester, where Duckett scored 62* in the Outlaws’ final game of the Vitality Blast.

The first match at Taunton will provide full squad participation to facilitate preparation for South Africa's international white-ball programme, while the second fixture will be played as an 11-a-side List-A match.

England Men's Assistant Coach Paul Collingwood has been appointed Head Coach for the two matches. 

Mo Bobat, ECB Performance Director, said:

"It's always great when we can bring some of our best and highest potential players together, particularly to take on senior international opposition. The two games provide an excellent opportunity to continue to grow our depth and assess players' readiness for England.

"The squad reflects a balance of England's next best players and some future players of note, as well as high performers from this season's T20 Blast campaign.

"With these games coming at the same time as England ODIs versus India and a County Championship round, we're very appreciative of the collaborative approach of counties, enabling us to field strong teams."

Royal London Men's Internationals Schedule:

1st 50-over match: England Lions v South Africa, Tuesday 12 July, Coopers Associate County Ground, Taunton (11.00am start)

2nd 50-over match: England Lions v South Africa, Thursday 14 July, New Road, Worcester (11.00am start)