George Hankins has returned from a successful spell with England Under-19s eager to help solve Gloucestershire’s batting problems as the Specsavers County Championship season reaches its climax.

The young Bath Cricket Club batsman was on the receiving end of a 3-0 whitewash by Sri Lanka in the one-day series, which ended this week.

But the last two matches saw Hankins hit 98 at Chelmsford and 79 at Canterbury, top-scoring for England in the first of those games.

That was welcome news in the light of skipper Michael Klinger’s criticism of Gloucestershire’s batting after the Championship defeat by Sussex this week.

Hankins has already made five Chmpionship appearances this season, scoring 45 against Kent at Canterbury and 56 against Glamorgan at Bristol.

Head coach Richard Dawson is glad to have the 19-year-old back and available for the home match against Kent, starting next Tuesday.

He said: “Going off to represent England was tremendous experience for George and it was great to see him do so well in the last couple of games.

“We have a few injury problems after the Sussex match and will need to see how they develop over the next few days before thinking about a team to face Kent.

“Our batting hasn’t really fired in the last three Championship games and it’s vital we put that right quickly because we are running out of fixtures.

“Essex have opened up a lead at the top of the Second Division, but we have a game in hand and couple of wins on the trot could still see us right up there when it matters.”

Liam Norwell suffered concussion in the Sussex game when hit by a bouncer from Chris Jordan in the first innings and needs to go through a set procedure for responding to such an injury before knowing if he can face Kent.

Graeme van Buuren sustained a side injury at Hove, while David Payne missed the game through illness.

Meanwhile, three Gloucestershire Academy youngsters looking to follow in Hankins’ footsteps are celebrating notable call-ups.

All-rounder Ben Charlesworth has been selected for a South v North Under-15 competition at Loughborough at the end of the month.

And batsman Jordan Garrett, along with all-rounder Tom Price, will participate in the Super 4s, a regional tournament showcasing the best Under-17 players in the country, also at Loughborough, next week.