Tom Lambert Releases England XI Squad Travelling to European Cricket Championship 2024

Eight members of the National Counties XI squad that won the Dream 11 European T10 Championship last year will be returning to defend the title at the Cartama Oval near Malaga next month.

Berkshire captain Dan Lincoln will again lead the National Counties XI – who will again be representing England in the Euros of Cricket – alongside Oxfordshire slow left-armer Tom Hinley and Berkshire seamer Tommy Sturgess who both played for Worcestershire in this season’s Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Hinley has since signed a rookie contract with Worcestershire who have made him available for the National Counties’ title defence.

Former Middlesex seamer Toby Greatwood (Berkshire), Dorset pair Sam Young and David Scott, Buckinghamshire left-hander Cameron Hemp and Cumbria left-handed batter/left-arm spinner Freddie Fallows will also be returning to Spain as National Counties attempt to win the competition for the third time in four seasons.

The newcomers to the T10 competition are Berkshire opener Johnny Connell, who made a century in the Durant Cricket National Counties Championship final against Staffordshire at the start of the month, Staffordshire pair Nils Priestley and Rory Haydon, Herefordshire seamer Sam Keeling-Wright and Northumberland opening bowler Seb Allison.

All 13 members of the National Counties XI have played for the NCCA Challengers side this season either in the three-day contest against Emerging Zimbabwe or the white ball matches against first-class opposition.

As defending champions, National Counties will enter this season’s competition in the final week – the Championship Week – which starts on Tuesday October 15 with the final on Saturday October 19.

Qualifying for the Championship Week is currently underway at the Cartama Oval to determine the line-up for the final week.

National Counties XI: Dan Lincoln (Berkshire – captain), Johnny Connell (Berkshire), Sam Young (Dorset), Freddie Fallows (Cumbria), Tom Hinley (Oxfordshire), David Scott (Dorset), Nils Priestley (Staffordshire), Tommy Sturgess (Berkshire), Cameron Hemp (Buckinghamshire), Toby Greatwood (Berkshire), Sam Keeling-Wright (Herefordshire), Rory Haydon (Staffordshire), Seb Allison (Northumberland).