AS the Ashes series builds to a climax some of those expected to contest future meetings will be doing battle at Chester-le-Street this week.

The four-day Under 19 Test between England and Australia begins at the Emirates Durham ICG today prior to five one-day internationals, of which the first is at South Northumberland next Tuesday.

Durham pair Jack Burnham, from Esh Winning, and Adam Hickey, from Darlington, are in the ODI squad and will share 12th man duties in the Test match.

When the teams met Down Under in April the Australians, coached by Graeme Hick, won the ODI series 3-2 while the Test was drawn after Sydney batsman Jake Doran scored a century.

He appeared against the full England side on the last Ashes tour as a 17-year-old and is in today's squad, along with Tom Healy, son of former Australia wicketkeeper Ian Healy.

The England squad is dominated by southerners, although Lancashire batsman Haseeb Hameed is the captain. The only Yorkshire representative is seamer Jared Warner.

Surrey seamer Sam Curran, a 17-year-old left-armer, and Hampshire leg-spinner Mason Crane have both played against Durham recently.

Durham's original first-class captain, David Graveney, is now the England Development Programme chairman of selectors and said: “With some of the squad regularly playing first team cricket we have spoken with their counties about what's best for their development.

“Picking larger squads than usual allows us to be flexible and react should any of them be called up for county cricket.

“These games are an important part of our preparation for the U19 World Cup in Bangladesh next year.''

England squad: Haseeb Hameed (Lancs, capt), Tom Alsop, Brad Taylor, Mason Crane (Hants), Sam Curran (Surrey), Ryan Davies (Kent), George Carton (Sussex), Ben Green (Somerset), Max Holden (Middlesex), Dan Lawrence, Callum Taylor (Essex), Saqib Mahmood, Matthew Parkinson (Lancashire), Aaron Thomason (Warwickshire), Jared Warner (Yorkshire), Saif Zaib (Northants).