SWINDON’S former England cricketer Jon Lewis has been appointed as head coach of the ECB’s Young Lions programme.

Lewis, who attended Swindon College and also played for his home town club, made one Test and 13 one day international appearances for England during his career.

The former Gloucestershire, Surrey and Sussex fast bowler will join the ECB from Sussex on a full-time basis in April after taking temporary charge of the England U19s during the recent ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand.

He also worked as fast bowling coach with the U19s on their tour of India last winter and as fast bowling coach for the England Lions in Australia before Christmas.

The 42-year-old joined the coaching staff at Sussex after retiring at the end of the 2014 season, initially as fast-bowling coach and more recently as assistant head coach.

Lewis said: “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities given to me as a coach by Sussex since I retired from playing. This is a great opportunity for me to work with the best young cricketers in the country and help shape the future of England cricket.”

ECB performance director David Parsons added: “After a full and open recruitment process, Jon was an outstanding candidate for the role after his work on our International Pathway over the last couple of years, most recently as head coach at the ICC U19 World Cup in New Zealand.

“He will bring a wealth of knowledge from his playing experience across the county and international game, but also a burgeoning reputation as a coach.

“We’ve been impressed by his leadership, his ability to build relationships, and the high standards and expectations he sets. He is thoughtful and has a very good level of cricket knowledge.”