GEORGE GARTON has been tipped to take an international call-up in his stride - just four months after he burst onto the scene with Sussex.

The 19-year-old seamer was a surprise inclusion in the England Lions squad yesterday for four one-day games against Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A later this month.

It capped a fairytale day for young Sussex bowlers with 21-year-old Jofra Archer taking 4-49 on his first class debut in the tour match against Pakistan at Hove.

Garton made headlines when he took a wicket with his first ball in first-class cricket in April and despite his meteoric rise Sussex assistant coach Jon Lewis is confident he will rise to the challenge.

Lewis said: “I’m not surprised he’s in the squad as I know how highly the ECB and Kevin Shine (England fast bowling coach) rate George. It has all happened quite quickly considering he has not played a lot of first team cricket but George has got all the qualities England are looking for.

“He has a lot of passion, pace and has good skills too. He is also mentally strong for someone so young so I don’t think playing for the Lions would faze him at all.

“Like any young bowler his performances will go up and down but there is no doubt in my mind that he is going to be a fine cricketer in the future. We’ve got a real gem and it is just a case of managing him properly.”

Garton is one of three members of the England squad from the Under-19 World Cup in March to be included in the Lions squad along with Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood and Surrey all-rounder Sam Curran.

The Lions take on Pakistan A at Cheltenham on July 19 before playing Sri Lanka A at Northampton on July 21 followed by back to back games against the two sides on July 24 and July 25 at Canterbury.

Garton’s inclusion means he will be unavailable for Sussex’s Championship game against Kent at Tunbridge Wells together with NatWest T20 Blast matches against Essex and Surrey and a Royal London One Day Cup fixture against Gloucestershire.

Lions squad: Malan (Middlesex), Bell-Drummond (Kent), Duckett (Northamptonshire), Clarke (Worcestershire), D’Oliveira (Worcestershire), Billings (Kent), Livingstone (Lancashire), Dawson (Hampshire), Curran (Surrey), Overton (Somerset), Mahmood (Lancashire), Garton (Sussex), Curran (Surrey - to join squad on July 21 for last two matches only).