England Lions in Australia 2021/22

The England Lions tour of Australia is an irregular bilateral development series rather than a formal, annual competition. Organised jointly by the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, it serves as a preparatory platform for players on the fringes of the senior national teams. The series provides high-quality first-class cricket in overseas conditions ahead of senior tours or major tournaments.

The matches are designated as 'unofficial' Tests or tour matches. They carry no official ICC ranking status or full international Test status, though they are classified as first-class cricket. The tour typically consists of warm-up matches against a domestic representative side followed by one or two four-day contests against Australia A. Recent editions have featured a single Unofficial Test match. The tour is not part of the ICC's official Future Tours Programme, which governs senior international fixtures.

The English team was formerly known as 'England A' before rebranding as 'England Lions' in 2007 to align with the ECB National Academy structure. The series occurs approximately every two to three years, often aligned with the senior men's Ashes cycle or World Cup preparation. In the 2019/20 tour, England Lions secured a landmark victory, winning the only Unofficial Test in Melbourne by nine wickets. This result ended a previous streak of losses in such encounters.

Conversely, Australia A won the Unofficial Tests in Sydney in 2024/25 and Brisbane in 2025/26 by significant margins. Nathan McSweeney holds the record for the highest individual score with 222 not out in the Brisbane contest. Ollie Robinson produced the best bowling figures, taking seven wickets for the match in the 2020 Melbourne Test. These fixtures offer a distinct environment compared to the high-stakes senior 'Ashes' series or domestic competitions like the Sheffield Shield, focusing instead on player development and acclimatization.