SWINDON'S former Test ace Jon Lewis has been handed the role of fast-bowling coach to England's Lions squad in Australia this winter.

Former Churchfields School pupil Lewis,  42, steps into the role following Chris Silverwood’s appointment as England’s fast bowling coach and will join the Lions at the National Cricket Performance Centre in Loughborough next week.

The ex-Gloucestershire seamer, assistant head coach with county side Sussex, will then go with the Lions squad to their training camp in Australia between November 13-December 16.

Lewis, who played one Test for England against Sri Lanka in 2006 and also made ODI and T20 appearances for his country, will take same role for the test match leg of the Lions’ tour to the West Indies that gets underway at the end of January.

Between his Lions assignments, Lewis will head to Western Australia where he will assist with Big Bash League side, Perth Scorchers, alongside their head coach, Justin Langer.

He said: “I am extremely excited about the prospect of coaching the England Lions on tour in Australia and the Caribbean and the Perth Scorchers in one of the highest profile T20 tournaments in the world, the Big Bash.

“I will be working with two world-class head coaches in Andy Flower and Justin Langer, and assisting with the coaching of some of the most talented cricketers in the world.''

Andy Flower, the Lions head coach, said: “We’re very happy for Chris, who has added significantly to our programme in the past, most recently in Sri Lanka last winter, in addition to the success he has had as a head coach with Essex.

“It left us with a vacancy but we are delighted to have an outstanding replacement in Jon Lewis – and we are very grateful to Keith Greenfield and Rob Andrew at Sussex for being so flexible and supportive in moving so quickly to allow Jon to join us now.

“Jon has worked with the Young Lions programme in the past, and in addition to his pedigree as an international bowler, he travelled to Australia with the Lions himself back in 2006, which was my first with the programme as an assistant to Peter Moores.”