In-form Kent opener Ben Compton named in 12-strong County Select XI squad to face New Zealand at Chelmsford

In-form Kent opener Ben Compton has been selected in a County Select XI squad which will play New Zealand in a four-day match.

Compton, 28, is part of the 12-man squad that has been named to take on New Zealand in a four-day match at Chelmsford from this Thursday.

The news is a welcome reward for Compton - cousin of former England opener Nick and grandson of England great Denis - who leads the run-scoring in Division 1 of the County Championship this summer with 878 runs, including four centuries.

Margate-born seamer Ollie Robinson, who plays for Sussex, is one of two capped England players in the squad alongside opener Dom Sibley.

The squad was selected from the pool of available players following consultation with the first-class counties and it will be overseen by England Cricket Elite Performance Pathway Coach Richard Dawson.

He said: “We have selected a strong squad of players who are in form and who deserve the opportunity to test themselves against high-class international opposition.

“Matches like this provide a valuable opportunity to see how the selected players handle a step up from county ranks and I am looking forward to working alongside them.

“I would also like to thank the first-class counties for their collaborative approach during a busy period.”

The match will serve as preparation for New Zealand before their three-game Test series against England which starts next month.

County Select XI squad: Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire), Michael Burgess (Warwickshire), Ben Compton (Kent), Ben Gibbon (Worcestershire), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Porter (Essex), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley