YORKSHIRE'S Jack Leaning is hoping to take advantage of a new route into international contention by impressing during next month's North v South one-day series in the United Arab Emirates.

The middle-order batsman has been selected for the three-match series by the England management.

With a Champions Trophy and World Cup coming up on home soil this summer and in 2019, director of England cricket Andrew Strauss wants to assess the best of the rest below international cricket.

Four players in each 12-man squad had already earned their places through performances in the 2016 Royal London One-Day Cup, measured by the PCA's Most Valuable Player rankings.

Yorkshire all-rounder Tim Bresnan was one of those in the North, who will be led by England bowling coach Ottis Gibson between March 17-21.

The rest were made up from the England Lions squad or wildcard picks, of which Leaning was one for the North.

It may be a left-field route into international cricket, but one the 23-year-old is hoping to take advantage of following an encouraging 2016 in limited-overs cricket for Yorkshire.

He scored 195 runs from eight Royal London One-Day Cup matches, including a career-best unbeaten 131 against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Leaning also scored 272 runs from 12 NatWest T20 Blast matches, with one fifty.

He returned a particularly impressive run of form in late July and early August, playing aggressively for scores of 32, 30, 131 not out, 64, 35 and 42 in eight innings across both competitions.

"I got the call back in November time, so it's a long time ago," said Leaning. "I'm looking forward to getting out there now and getting started.

"It's I something I see as an opportunity that's come my way that I can go into without any pressure.

"I'm hoping I succeed, can showcase my skills and play really positively.

"If it doesn't work out, hopefully I can have a big season with Yorkshire and work my way into (England) contention that way.

"I felt quite confident in white-ball cricket last year.

"I saw it as an opportunity to be nice and aggressive and really enjoy myself, especially in the Twenty20, because I love white-ball cricket."

There will be another familiar face involved, with his former Yorkshire second XI coach Paul Farbrace in charge of the South squad, who include the only current England international Steven Finn.

"It's nice to have people you've worked with or played alongside in a new environment when you go into it," said Leaning.

"But I've played enough cricket now, and you tend to get to know lads from different counties pretty well anyway. I'm sure it will be a good trip."

Despite a brief focus on white-ball cricket for Leaning, his primary aim for 2017 is different.

"I want to get back to my best form in red-ball cricket, for certain," he added, having only scored 233 runs from nine County Championship matches last year.

"I had a really good time the season before last and was good with the white ball the summer just gone, so hopefully this year I can put them both together."

NORTH: Keaton Jennings (captain), Ben Duckett, Sam Hain, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Jack Leaning, Tim Bresnan, Josh Poysden, Graeme White, Mark Wood, Saqib Mahmood, Richard Gleeson, Harry Gurney.

SOUTH: James Vince (captain), Daniel Bell-Drummond, Tom Alsop, Dawid Malan, Sam Northeast, Liam Dawson, Ben Foakes, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Tim Groenewald, Matt Coles, Steven Finn, Mason Crane.