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Paterson, Baartman, De Zorzi Lead South Africa A Against England Lions

South Africa A have named a strong squad for their multi-format tour against England Lions starting May 22. Dane Paterson, Ottneil Baartman, and Tony de Zorzi headline the four-day squad, with Paterson aiming to return to Test cricket. Marques Ackermann will captain both the four-day and one-day squads, which include several promising domestic performers. Head coach Wandile Gwavu emphasized the tour as a vital opportunity for players to test themselves in English conditions ahead of a busy home summer.

Key Points: SA A Squad Announced for England Lions Series

  • SA A to play two four-day matches starting May 22
  • Three-match one-day series begins June 5
  • Marques Ackermann to captain both squads
  • 37-year-old Paterson returns to Test contention
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Dane Paterson, Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Nqobani Mokoena headline South Africa A squad for multi-format series against England Lions

Dane Paterson, Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi headline South Africa A squad for four-day and one-day series against England Lions starting May 22.

"This tour is a great chance for that group to test themselves in English conditions - Wandile Gwavu"

Cape Town, April 30

Dane Paterson, Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi and Nqobani Mokoena headline the South Africa A squad, which will face the England Lions for two four-day matches in England starting May 22, according to the Cricket South Africa Website.

While De Zorzi, Baartman and Mokoena have also been named in the three-match one-day series between both teams, Paterson misses out in the squad for the shorter format. Marques Ackermann will captain both sides.

The first four-day match will take place from May 22 to 25, followed by the second, which will run from May 29 to June 1. The one-day series is set to start with the first match on June 5, the second on June 7 and the third on June 9.

Notably, 37-year-old Paterson has not appeared in a Test since playing in the Boxing Day match of 2024, which secured South Africa's place in the World Test Championship final. However, with an upcoming home season featuring eight Tests and his name in the SA A's squad, Paterson has returned to contention.

SA A head coach Wandile Gwavu said the squad largely retains a core group of consistent performers from domestic cricket and the SA A setup. He views the England tour as a valuable opportunity to test themselves in challenging conditions, highlighting Dane Paterson's experience there and expressing interest in seeing him pair with Ottneil Baartman as the team builds toward a busy home summer and potential Proteas opportunities.

"We've continued to back a core group of players who have shown consistency within the SA 'A' setup and for their domestic teams. This tour is a great chance for that group to test themselves in English conditions, and we know that someone like Dane brings a wealth of experience in those conditions. I'm looking forward to seeing him alongside Ottneil as we build towards a busy home summer and the opportunities it presents at Proteas level," Gwavu said as quoted by the Cricket South Africa website.

Ottneil Baartman, 33, has also been handed a chance to stake his claim for a Test spot. Both Baartman and 19-year-old pacer Nqobani Mokoena are also included in the South Africa A one-day squad for three matches following the red-ball fixtures.

In the batting lineup, Tony de Zorzi--now recovered from the injury that kept him out of the T20 World Cup--has been named in both squads.

Other notable names include pacer Gerald Coetzee, batter Connor Esterhuizen, pacer Kwena Maphaka and wicketkeeper Batter Lhuan-dre Pretorius.

South Africa A Four-Day Squad: Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Zubayr Hamza, Jordan Hermann, Rubin Hermann, Nqobani Mokoena, Dane Paterson, Sinethemba Qeshile, Lesego Senokwane, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen, Tiaan van Vuuren, Codi Yusuf

South Africa A One-Day squad: Marques Ackerman, Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Connor Esterhuizen, Dian Forrester, Bjorn Fortuin, Rubin Hermann, Kwena Maphaka, Nqobani Mokoena, Nqaba Peter, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Sinethemba Qeshile, Jason Smith, Prenelan Subrayen.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
Honestly, it's nice to see South African cricket focusing on red-ball development. With 8 Tests coming up at home, they need a settled pace attack. Paterson and Baartman together could be lethal on those South African pitches! And Gerald Coetzee in the ODI squad adds firepower. Excited for this series! 🏏
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Rahul R
Interesting selection choices. I wonder why they didn't include more spinners in the four-day squad though - English pitches in May often assist spin later in the match. Subrayen is good but one specialist spinner might not be enough. Still, good squad overall with a nice mix of youth and experience.
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Michael C
As someone who follows both English and South African cricket, this will be a great test for the SA A side. England Lions are always competitive at home. Paterson's experience in English conditions is invaluable - he's played county cricket. Hope Mokoena gets a game, young fast bowlers need exposure to these conditions.
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Ananya R
Cricket aside, this is a perfect example of how tough it is for players from smaller nations to break into the Test side. Paterson is 37 and still fighting for a spot! Meanwhile, India has so many options that even good performers sometimes wait years. Respect to South Africa for giving everyone a fair chance though.
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Siddharth J
Good squad selection by the management. Tony de Zorzi is back from injury and that's a big positive - he was missed in the T20 World Cup. The four-day matches will be crucial prep for the England Lions

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