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Sport

Kent Cricket duo Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings aiming to shine for England Lions against Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A at the Spitfire Ground

By: Alex Hoad

Published: 00:00, 23 July 2016

Sam Billings and Daniel Bell-Drummond will hope to make their mark for England Lions in familiar surroundings this week.

The Kent pair are in the Lions squad facing Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A in a tri-series, the conclusion of which will be at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, on Monday (10.30am).

Billings kept wicket and took two catches before hitting 23 not out to help the Lions win the opening game of the series by seven wickets with more than 13 overs to spare at Cheltenham on Tuesday after the tourists were bowled out for 244. Pakistan thrashed Sri Lanka in the opening game on Monday.

Daniel Bell-Drummond and Sam Billings Picture: Barry Goodwin

Bell-Drummond made 22 before being caught behind after opening the reply along with skipper Dawid Malan of Middlesex.

Both Kent men hit half-centuries in Thursday's 88-run victory over Sri Lanka A at Northampton as England piled up a Lions List A record total of 393-5.

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Skipper Malan led the way, hitting an unbeaten 185 - the highest individual score by a Lions or England A batsman in List A cricket.

Bell-Drummond helped Middlesex's Malan add 83 for the first wicket, making 52 from 48 deliveries, with eight boundaries, and Billings then weighed in with 68 from 34 balls. hitting 11 fours and a six, as he and the skipper shared a third wicket stand of 117.

Sri Lanka had reached 164-4 from 30 overs when the rain arrived, handing England victory under the Duckworth-Lewis method.

Pakistan A provide the opposition for the next game at Canterbury on Sunday (10.30am) with the series concluding against Sri Lanka A on Monday.

Kent Cricket chief executive Jamie Clifford hopes local fans will turn-out to support their home heroes and said: “Kent supporters enjoyed the opportunity last season to watch the Australian touring team play a four-day match against the county side and England take on Australia in the Women’s Ashes Test.

“Our members can come along to these games as part of their membership package and I am sure there will be much interest in these two games, especially with Sam and Daniel in the Lions’ ranks.”

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He added: “Every young English cricketer wants to win England Lions selection because it is a vitally important step towards winning full international honours.

“I know just how much both Sam and DBD enjoyed playing in Lions colours last winter and how much they got out of the experience.

“As batsmen, they learned an awful lot from the high-quality coaching they received from the Lions coaching team – which included the likes of Graham Thorpe and Andy Flower – and they indisputably came back to us as better cricketers.”

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