England Lions made the perfect start to their winter programme with a comprehensive 3-0 series victory in the T20 leg of their West Indies tour.

Taking charge of his first series in a permanent capacity, having overseen the 2-0 win over Sri Lanka in September, Jonathan Trott saw his young side produce more ruthless displays as they proved too strong for their Caribbean opponents in Saint Kitts & Nevis.

Attention now turns to the one-day format, with a five-match series getting underway from November 7th before the next assignment in South Africa.

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Axed Ahmed pushes his case for recall

It was an underwhelming domestic season for Rehan Ahmed.

Having played a starring role with the bat in Leicestershire’s promotion campaign, Ahmed scored 375 runs across 13 innings at an average of 28.84 in Division One, while also claiming 19 wickets in excess of 40.

The white-ball format also yielded disappointing returns, with just 98 runs in six innings for the Foxes in the T20 Blast, 105 runs for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred and a low score in the One Day Cup final at Trent Bridge.

A Test opportunity in the wake of Ben Stokes’ retirement did not materialise, though the all-rounder featured in the ODI series against Sri Lanka at the end of the summer but was dropped for the third match after failing to make a serious impact with bat or ball.

He was subsequently left out of the senior white-ball squads for the tri-series in Pakistan and tour to Australia, though was included in the latest batch of central contracts, leaving a big winter to impress with the Lions away from the franchise circuit as he aims to reignite his international career.

After scores of 29 and 31 batting at no. 3, Ahmed saved his standout all-round contribution for the third T20, making a career-best 92 off 46 balls to underpin England’s total of 219-7, clearing the rope on eight occasions.

The 22-year-old then took two wickets for 16 runs from his allocation of four overs as the Lions dismissed their hosts for just 123 to complete a resounding win.

Harrison’s stock continues to rise

From one leg-spinner to another, Calvin Harrison is a player who will certainly have England aspirations in the near future.

The tall all-rounder caught the eye with a number of strong displays for Trent Rockets in their run to the final of the Hundred, while the 28-year-old has become a key figure for Northamptonshire in recent seasons across formats.

While his batting has seen the biggest development – often utilised at no. 3 in the County Championship – it was his bowling where he impacted each of the T20s and perhaps offers the greater encouragement for his route into the senior side.

In the first T20, Harrison claimed 2-16 from his four overs which included the key wicket of West Indies A captain Alick Athanaze, before his 2-27 in the second match helped to restrict the home side to 134 in pursuit of 152.

Middle-over wickets were once again the order of the day in the third T20 with 3-26 to stifle the chase.

Harrison has not been selected for the one-day series as he prepares to embark on his maiden overseas franchise gig with Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League next month.

Rew brothers and seamers also contribute

Elsewhere, the Rew brothers continued to demonstrate their immense talent.

Thomas, 18, captained the side and smashed an unbeaten 24-ball 50 in the first match to race to the modest target of 99 inside 11 overs. Meanwhile 22-year-old James, who made his Test debut in June, played the support role in the third match alongside Ahmed with 57 off 37 balls in a third-wicket stand worth 112.

From the bowling perspective, Naavya Sharma is certainly a name to watch closely as one of England’s most exciting pace prospects after strong displays in the County Championship and One Day Cup for Middlesex.

The 21-year-old’s career-best figures of 4-19 set the tone for the series, removing Kamil Pooran and Quentin Sampson who both recently featured for the West Indies senior side in their T20I series in India.

Hampshire’s Scott Currie – who has played three ODIs for Scotland but was called-up to the England T20I squad for the first time last September – also enjoyed hugely productive performances with two three-wicket hauls, ending with combined series figures of 7-52 at an economy rate of just 5.11.

Who will be eager to impress in the 50-over series?

The five-match series presents a rare opportunity for members of the squad to play the one-day format.

Sussex all-rounder James Coles and Glamorgan leg-spinner were both members of the recent ODI tri-series squad and will relish the chance for match action after sitting on the sidelines in Pakistan.

Coles, along with Thomas Rew and Eddie Jack, will be available for the first three games before leaving to join up with the senior T20 squad in Australia.

Dan Lawrence arrives to captain the side, having been called-up to the ODI squad as injury cover for the final match against Sri Lanka in September.

Seamer Sam Cook has been added to the squad and will form a probing new-ball partnership with Sharma, while all-rounder Ben Kellaway is the other new name in contention.

However, his Glamorgan teammate Asa Tribe will not be there after being barred from entering Saint Kitts & Nevis due to his recent time spent in Kenya with the Jersey squad, which could give the opportunity for Jack Haynes or Ben Mayes to spend more time at the crease after minimal chance across the T20s.

Opener Ben McKinney and left-arm spinner Liam Patterson-White were both recently awarded England Development contracts and have been touted for Test consideration, though neither made a notable impact in the T20s and will be eyeing more match-defining performances.