Tribe and Kellaway Aim for England Honours After Lions Experience
Asa Tribe (L) and Ben Kellaway played key roles in Glamorgan's County Championship promotion last season and are now focused on progressing towards senior England selection after gaining experience with the England Lions.
Tribe scored a century against Australia A in their four-day match and could be considered for a Test opening position if he maintains his form in the Championship's first division.
Kellaway, known for his ambidextrous spin bowling and aggressive middle-order batting, may also attract England selectors who have shown openness to unconventional players in recent years.
Both 22-year-olds are potential candidates to end Glamorgan's 20-year absence from the senior England team, a gap since Simon Jones' international career was curtailed by injury.
Tribe's prospects as an opening batsman have received endorsement from former England captain Mike Atherton, who wrote about him in The Times.
Following impressive debut seasons with Glamorgan, Tribe and Kellaway understand the importance of replicating their performances in Division One to continue their upward trajectory.
"It can happen for you so quickly in cricket and that's what's happened for me, it's been a very good experience for me with the Lions and Paarl Royals (South Africa)," said Tribe, who also toured with the Lions against Pakistan Shaheens in the UAE before the tour was cut short due to global conflict.
"When you're in an environment that's so competitive at a much higher intensity then you can make those strides quicker and I've been blessed with the opportunity.
"I've always had self-confidence though, England A is a big step up and it's only one step off the main side especially when you're touring alongside them.
"I try not to get into (speculation about England), there'll always be a bit of hype around certain players. It would be a great opportunity (if it happens) and one I've looked at for a while, not necessarily thinking I was that close, but I certainly feel a lot closer to it now.
"I'd be more than happy to start the season nicely with Glamorgan and then get an England call-up."
Tribe, originally from Jersey and with numerous international caps for the island, acknowledged that representing England would require pausing his commitments to Jersey cricket.
"I'd have to wait three years (after any England appearances) to come back round for Jersey, but I'd be happy to make that sacrifice," he added.
Kellaway's Progress and Ambitions
Kellaway scored a half-century for the England Lions in Australia under coach Andrew Flintoff. Although he did not feature in the white-ball matches against Pakistan, he participated in a Lions training camp in India and had a brief stint with the Gulf Giants franchise in the UAE alongside new Glamorgan teammate Sean Dickson.
"It was a great winter, to get away with the Lions for that first Australia block was an awesome experience and then after I went to a training camp in India, completely different conditions, but even more invaluable experience," Kellaway said.
"I've worked with a lot of new (coaching) faces and come across some amazing coaches. It's one of the main goals of my career to represent England, but I'm taking it step by step and that Lions tour was the first step for me."
The Chepstow-born player recognizes the significance of Glamorgan players being acknowledged by England selectors.
"Whatever happens, maybe not this summer, but in years to come, representing England would be an absolute honour but for now it's about focusing on Glammy and Division One," Kellaway stated.
"I'm going to try to replicate (my form) last year, but it's a new challenge against sides we haven't played a lot in red-ball cricket. From a team perspective our main goal is to compete and keep ourselves in Division One because that's where we should be as a club."
Glamorgan Coach Richard Dawson on Player Development
Richard Dawson, appointed head coach of Glamorgan in January 2025, has closely observed Tribe and Kellaway's development, having been part of the England Lions coaching staff.
"They've had a really interesting winter with that Lions trip to Australia, a great experience in different conditions against good cricketers and seeing international cricket close up with the England squad," Dawson said.
"Asa then played franchise cricket in South Africa, but they're still learning their game and they're keen to keep on improving."
Dawson emphasized the importance of consistent county performances for national selection, despite England's recent willingness to select unconventional players without extensive county records.
"As a player, you've got to get runs and wickets and people sit up and take note. If you're doing it in a winning side, people sit up a bit more so that's my job. But people will pick squads how they see fit," he explained.
"Some seasons you might have 10 or 12 players going for one (England) spot so you've got to be the one that stands out. Asa and Ben played well and went on Lions tours."
While international call-ups for Tribe or Kellaway this summer would create gaps in the Glamorgan squad amid tough competition, it would also end a long-standing absence of Glamorgan players at the senior international level.
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