PROMISING Somerset off-spinner Dom Bess is to represent the south in the pre-season North v South series in Barbados.
The 20-year-old will take part in the three-match one-day series after representing the England Lions in the West Indies through February and early March, with Bess included for both red ball and white ball matches in that tour.
The Exeter-born spinner's call-up for the series is further evidence of his promise in the limited overs game, though Bess is yet to feature in a List A match for Somerset and has played just one T20.
That will surely change this summer, and Bess' hugely impressive First Class record - 49 wickets in just 12 matches at an average of 22.59 since his debut in 2016 - has provided proof of his potential.
Bess is keen to establish himself in all formats, and will be eager to show what he can do with a white ball in the coming months as he battles it out with Max Waller and Roelof van der Merwe for a spin slot in Somerset's limited overs side.
The North v South series begins with a warm-up match on March 15 before the three competitive games take place on March 18, 21 and 23.
The southern contingent will be led by Kent's Sam Northeast, with Nottinghamshire all-rounder Steven Mullaney to captain the north.
North: S Mullaney (Notts, captain), S Hain (Warwickshire*), B Duckett (Northamptonshire), J Clarke (Worcestershire), K Jennings (Lancashire), B D'Oliveira (Worcestershire), A Davies (Lancashire, wk), P Coughlin (Notts), M Fisher (Yorkshire), S Mahmood (Lancashire), R Gleeson (Northamptonshire), Z Chappell (Leicestershire), M Parkinson (Lancashire).
South: S Northeast (Kent, captain), D Bell-Drummond (Kent*), N Gubbins (Middlesex), D Lawrence (Essex), D Rawlins (Sussex), L Dawson (Hampshire), J Simpson (Middlesex, wk), S Curran (Surrey), P Walter (Essex), D Bess (Somerset), T Helm (Middlesex), J Porter (Essex), G Garton (Sussex).
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