Delight for Northants youngster Sales as he gets England Under-19 call

Sales has been named the England’s squad for the upcoming Royal London Series against the tourists from the Caribbean.

The former Overstone Park cricketer is part of an 18-man strong squad, which has been selected by ECB Elite Pathway coach Richard Dawson.

Sales said: ‘I am extremely pleased to get the call up to the under 19s and can’t wait to get going.’

“I’ve been working hard with my game now for a while and to hear the good news just shows hard work pays off.

“I was really chuffed with the achievement and told my parents the good news straight away.”

The son of former Northants and England A player David Sales, Sales Jnr made his List A debut for the Northants Steelbacks in the Royal London Cup against Somerset in early August.

“I took a lot away after being around the first team boys and I feel that it has really helped my game.” Sales said.

“Playing in front of a crowd has also helped as it adds in the extra bit of nerves and pressure and has allowed me to get used to a new environment.”

The first of six fixtures in the Royal London series kicks off this Saturday at Beckenham.

The first three games are played there, before the action switches to Polo Farm in Canterbury for the final three matches.

Northamptonshire’s Academy director Kevin Innes said: “Myself and all the coaching staff are really proud of James achieving this call up.

“He’s been with us since he was 10 years old, so it’s great to see a Northampton born and bred player achieve this accolade.

“James has got there on hard work and dedication.

“He has really pushed on this year and I hope he continues to make more appearances for the first team and at international level.”

England u19s coach Dawson said: “I’m excited to see the group in action and to see how they fare against their international peers.

“It’s a big opportunity for the players, and it’s their first step on the international pathway.

“It’s testament to the quality of our young players that we may lose a few during the series, should they be called into their county’s first team squad.

“We’ll be communicating and collaborating with the counties throughout and we’ve selected a group to cover that eventuality, and we’re looking forward to getting going.”

“Jacob Bethell and Tom Prest will share the captaincy throughout the series, which is a good opportunity for them to develop their leadership skills.”

England U19 squad: Rehan Ahmed (Leicestershire); Tom Aspinwall (Lancashire); Sonny Baker (Somerset); Nathan Barnwell (Surrey); George Bell (Lancashire); Jacob Bethell (Warwickshire); Josh Boyden (Lancashire); James Coles (Sussex); Alex Horton (Glamorgan); Dan Ibrahim (Sussex); Archie Lenham (Sussex); Will Luxton (Yorkshire); Harry Petrie (Hampshire); Tom Prest (Hampshire); James Rew (Somerset); James Sales (Northamptonshire); Fateh Singh (Nottinghamshire); George Thomas (Somerset)

Royal London U19 Series Fixtures

Saturday September 4: 1st Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Beckenham.

Monday September 6: 2nd Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Beckenham.

Wednesday September 8: 3rd Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Beckenham.

Friday September 10: 4th Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Polo Farm, Canterbury.

Tuesday September 14: 5th Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Polo Farm, Canterbury.

Friday September 17: 6th Royal London International, England U19 v West Indies U19, Polo Farm, Canterbury.