England Lions will travel to South Africa for a five-match tour running from November 26 to December 21, 2026, with a preparation camp scheduled for November 25 ahead of the opening fixture. Somerset pair James Rew and Thomas Rew are among the standout inclusions across the two squads announced for the series against South Africa A, which comprises three 50-over matches and two First-Class four-day games.
James Rew earns selection in both the 18-player red-ball group and the 15-player white-ball squad, while Thomas Rew is named in the red-ball format only. The announcement confirms a significant moment for Somerset, with two brothers representing England Lions simultaneously across the formats.
Who has been selected in the England Lions red-ball and white-ball squads?
Durham contribute three players to the 18-player red-ball squad: Brydon Carse, Ben McKinney and Matthew Potts. Surrey are represented by Henry Crocombe, Matthew Fisher and Ollie Pope, while Nottinghamshire provide Jack Haynes and Olly Stone.
Hampshire’s Eddie Jack and Ben Mayes are included alongside George Hill of Yorkshire and Mitch Stanley of Lancashire. Shoaib Bashir of Derbyshire, James Coles of Sussex, Mason Crane of Glamorgan and Asa Tribe of Glamorgan complete the group alongside James Rew and Thomas Rew of Somerset.
The 15-player 50-over squad retains ten players from the red-ball group:
Carse, Crane, Fisher, Haynes, Hill, Mayes, McKinney, Pope, Tribe and James Rew. Five additional players join them exclusively in the white-ball setup: Rehan Ahmed of Leicestershire, Adam Finch of Worcestershire, Calvin Harrison of Northamptonshire, Naavya Sharma of Middlesex and Ekansh Singh of Kent.
Why Asa Tribe is barred from England Lions tour
Pietermaritzburg Oval in Pietermaritzburg hosts the First 50-over match on December 1, giving the Lions their opening fixture of the tour. Boland Park in Paarl then stages back-to-back white-ball games, with the Second 50-over match on December 4 followed by the Third on December 6, completing the one-day leg of the series.
The First Class leg begins at Tuks Cricket Oval in Pretoria, where the opening four-day match runs from December 10 to 13. Willowmoore Park in Benoni then hosts the second four-day fixture from December 18 to 21, bringing the tour to its conclusion and rounding off a demanding schedule across four South African venues.
