YORKSHIRE have got a magnificent seven players in the provisional England Lions touring party for their New Year trip to South Africa, where they will play first-class and one-day cricket.

The White Rose's reputation as English cricket's strongest county has only been enhanced by the inclusion of Bradford's Adil Rashid, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Jack Brooks, Alex Lees, Adam Lyth and Liam Plunkett for a five-week tour from early January.

The England selectors have named separate first-class and one-day squads, with the county's seven all picked in both, thus making up half of both parties.

The final squads will only be confirmed in December once England's one-day World Cup squad has been finalised.

The selections cap off an exceptional year for Yorkshire, who were crowned county champions last month.

"I don't know whether this kind of percentage has happened before but it must be fairly unique I would have thought," said the county's director of cricket Martyn Moxon.

"It's fantastic for the players and the club to get such recognition. We're all delighted for the lads, and hopefully they can have a good tour."

The majority of the seven are expected to be called upon for England's full three-Test series in the West Indies from April 13 to May 5, clashing with the start of the LV= County Championship.

Ballance is a certainty, while Bairstow, Lyth, Plunkett and Rashid are likely tourists.

Brooks and Lees will hope to impress in the three-day match against a South African Invitational XI and two four-day and five one-day matches against South Africa A between January 5 and February 5 in order to make a late selection bid.

"A lot will depend on that Lions tour, but as we sit now we can realistically expect six of our lads to be involved in the West Indies, including Joe Root," added Moxon.

"Root and Ballance are pretty much certain, Plunkett too you would think. Then you've got Bairstow as reserve wicketkeeper and if Rashid keeps bowling the way he did during the summer, he should go as second spinner. At least one of the openers has got a very good chance."

The other notable inclusion is Warwickshire's Jonathan Trott in the first-class squad.