Joe Root will captain the England Lions during their four-day encounter against the New Zealand Test side in May.

The match has been arranged to give the Kiwis some practice ahead of their series against the England senior side, but it will also give the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Ravi Bopara, Michael Carberry, Graham Onions and James Taylor the chance to stake a claim for a place in the England squad.

"With a busy summer of Test cricket ahead, this fixture against New Zealand is an excellent opportunity for our players to show us that they are capable of representing England in the longer format of the game," said national selector Geoff Miller.

"Joe Root will lead the side in order to assist his development as a cricketer and provide him with valuable experience of captaincy against quality opposition."

Root has been widely tipped to be part of the England side that will face New Zealand as well as Australia in the Ashes later this year.