Academy & LYC round-up 2 2018

The Leicestershire Young Cricketers (LYC) and Academy programme is well underway and there have been some outstanding performances across the age groups.

After scoring a match-winning century for the Academy against Middlesex Academy last week in the U19 Six Counties Championship, Don Butchart bowled the team back into the Tri-Series game at Uppingham School on day one versus Northamptonshire Academy.

Butchart took seven for 48 in 26 overs to reduce Northamptonshire Academy to 321 when a score of 400 plus looked imminent only one hour before. Northants had reached 250 for four with 10 minutes to go until tea before the Academy took four wickets in quick succession. The game ended in a draw.

So far this summer in the Leicestershire-Worcestershire-Northamptonshire Academy Tri-Series, the Academy is unbeaten with victories in both the T20 and 50 over formats. 

Results:

T20 v Worcestershire – WCCC Academy 133-9, LCCC Academy 134-5

T20 v Northamptonshire –  NCCC Academy 149-5, LCCC Academy 151-5 (Jack Nightingale 40)

50 Over v Worcestershire – LCCC Academy 190, WCCC Academy 100 (Moh Ahmed 5 for 36)

50 Over v Northamptonshire – NCCC Academy 241, LCCC Academy 244-6 (Ash Trusz 146*)

The Academy beat Warwickshire Academy on first innings in the last week. Batting first, the Academy made 399-9 as skipper Jack Nightingale top-scored with 78.

The innings also included lots of other contributions as Richard Bell made 47 and Nick Green 33. Butchart then took another three wickets.

It's been a fine season for the Academy players, who have also performed well in Leicestershire Second XI fixtures throughout the 2018 season. In the T20 games against Durham last week, spinners Butchart, Moh Ahmed and James Dickinson all claimed career-best figures, as did seamer Alex Evans. 

LYC Under 12s beat Lincolnshire U12s, Liam Tew scoring a half-century in the game. Tew was also in fine form with the ball in the side’s narrow one-wicket defeat to Norfolk, taking 4-20 from his 8 overs.

Arush Buchake hit 88 opening the batting against Worcestershire U12s and Tew’s fine season continued when he hit an unbeaten 87 against Yorkshire U12s.

The Under 13s has won two games, Will Begy has had a fine summer making 70 against Nottinghamshire, 38 in their win against Cumbria and 92 against Cheshire, a game in which Vaughan Schofield made 75. The landmarks continued in the fixture as Sam Wood took 5-22 opening the bowling, with the side registering a 68-run victory.

The victory against Cumbria saw two bowlers register outstanding figures, George Royale took 4-5 from his eight overs and Tom Smith 4-7 from 5.2 as Cumbria was bowled out for 63.

Rehan Ahmed is having a summer to remember, hitting 96 not out to guide the Under 14s to an impressive victory against Yorkshire U14s as well as taking 2-18 in the same game. The next match saw Ahmed hit 104 against Worcestershire U14s as the side won by 141 runs. That game also saw Aryan Patel hit 75 while Parth Sindhal recorded figures of 5-13 from just seven overs.

Playing a year up, Schofield hit an unbeaten century against Yorkshire U14s, however, the side couldn’t quite get over the line, falling 55 runs short in that game. The side have also won T20 fixtures against South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire.

The Under 15s has played some superb cricket so far this summer. Having lost their first two games, the team registered their first win against Nottinghamshire U15s in a T20. Defending 99, they bowled their opponents out for 76. They followed this up with a win against Durham U15s in chasing 103. Rehan Ahmed performed well with the ball, taking 3-20 from four overs as well as hitting 32.

The side have also defeated Lincolnshire U15s, Bedfordshire U15s twice, in the first game Rehan Ahmed took 5-17 as they bowled Bedfordshire U15s out for just 68. Like Bedfordshire U15s, Buckinghamshire U15s has been beaten twice, the side chasing down 183 and 256. In the second game Rohan Kelkar made an unbeaten 82* and James Tattersall 58.

LYC Under 17s has won both of their games so far this season. They beat Lincolnshire U17s comprehensively, bowling them out for 174. Uday Modhvadia, Harry Tyler and Bhurva Tank each took three wickets. Ajay Khunti then hit an unbeaten 71* and Richard Bell 55* as the side won by eight wickets.

* For the latest news on the Leicestershire Academy & LYC programme, please click HERE