THORNBURY all-rounder Tom Shrewsbury has been selected for the England Development Programme this winter.

He has been chosen for the Under-19 group while fellow Gloucestershire academy players Kieran Smith and Miles Hammond will be part of the under-17 programme.

Off-spinner Shrewsbury hails from Cornwall, but played for Thornbury in the West of England Premier League last season, where club president David Allen, a former England international, had a big influence on him.

Left-arm chinamen bowler Smith is from Stroud and plays for Frocester, while Hammond is from Oxford and all three impressed for Gloucestershire’s second team this year.

Another Thornbury and Gloucestershire player, Chris Dent, has been involved in England Programmes in the past along with the likes of Jack Taylor, Liam Norwell and David Payne.

Gloucestershire Academy director Owen Dawkins said: “These selections continue the success our academy has enjoyed in seeing players recognised by England over the past four years. “Craig Miles has played a couple of representative games for the Development Programme, while Lloyd Evans went on the England under-17s tour last winter. “Tom, Kieran and Miles have appeared in a number of Second XI games, as well as doing well for their Academy age groups.

“They have already spent ten days training with England at Loughborough this winter and will attend two or three more camps this side of Christmas.

“Selection for under-19 and under-17 winter tours will be made from players involved in the Programmes so that is the next step.”

* Gloucestershire target Ed Cowan scored his maiden Test century in the drawn match between Australia and South Africa in Brisbane this week.

The opening batsman had two short spells with the county last summer and is their number one choice to replace Alex Gidman as captain, but his knock of 136 boosted his chances of being involved in Australia’s Ashes party next year.