Jason Roy to take up Oval Invincibles captaincy in Sam Billings' absence

Jason Roy will lead a team for the first time in his professional career on Thursday after being named Oval Invincibles' stand-in captain for their game against Northern Superchargers.

Sam Billings, the Invincibles captain, is missing Thursday's game to play for England Lions against South Africa in Canterbury, while Will Jacks, the obvious replacement, is also involved in that fixture. As a result, Roy will step up to lead the side. His previous captaincy experience is limited to second-team cricket and a non-first-class match against Oxford MCCU in 2013.

"I was delighted to be asked to captain the guys and am relishing the extra responsibility," Roy said in a statement. "Although it's only for one game, it's an honour to lead the team."

Roy has struggled for runs throughout this summer with his place in England's first-choice T20 World Cup side under threat after a stretch of 76 runs off 98 balls across six T20I innings. He started the Hundred with a first-baller against London Spirit before making a run-a-ball 10 against Welsh Fire on Sunday, middling a flick off his pads straight to short fine-leg.

"It's obviously frustrating that we've lost two players but it's a good opportunity for Jacksy and Bilbo to play in the Lions game," Sam Curran, Roy's Invincibles team-mate, said. "It's going to be very exciting for Jase, playing at his home ground and captaining. There's been some great energy around the training sessions over the last couple of days and the guys are really excited.

"He's not far away. He's been middling the ball and the last couple of games, the ways he has got out have been extremely unlucky: one metre either side of the fielder, it's four and he's away. There'll be an attack very, very shortly who are thinking he's out of form and they'll regret it. I think he'll come very good, very soon and we all know how good a player he is. I don't think people should be getting too worried about him."

Superchargers, meanwhile, will continue to miss Harry Brook, who is also involved in the Lions game and has been replaced on a short-term basis by Saif Zaib, the Northamptonshire batter.

ESPNcricinfo understands they have lined up Craig Miles, the Warwickshire seamer, as a replacement when Matthew Potts leaves on England duty, while Wayne Parnell will link up with the squad for the last two group games after Dwayne Bravo departs to the CPL.