T20 debut was a dream come true - Swindells

The year of 2018 has been an incredibly productive one for young wicket-keeper/batsman Harry Swindells.

The 19-year-old signed his first professional contract for the club towards the end of the 2017 season and has made his List A and Twenty20 debut for the club this summer.

A renowned hard-worker, Swindells has played particular homage to new Second XI Coach Tom Smith, who joined the club in the build-up to the 2018 season.

Smith played over 250 games for Lancashire as well as a loan spell with the Foxes, and he too moved up the order during his playing career. Swindells believes that Smith’s experience and advice has helped him to score 1,223 runs in Second XI cricket this summer, including three centuries.

Swindells said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Tom. He’s put his faith in me at the top of the order in all three formats, and I think that has accelerated my development.

“Smudge [Tom Smith] has seen it all in the professional game and his door is always open to help. It’s been a test opening the batting and combining that with wicket-keeping, especially when a day in the field ends and there’s a little period to bat before stumps.

“I’m not sure if many players keep wicket and open the batting, I know Alex Davies at Lancashire does but I think he’s the exception to the rule. I feel doing the role has improved my mental resilience, so if it means I can get in the first team that way, I am happy to do it.”

Swindells’ promotion to the T20 side happened very quickly, and something that he has thoroughly enjoyed.

“I was playing against Northants at Desborough in the Second Eleven Championship, and got a call from Nico [Paul Nixon] in the morning telling me I was in the squad for that evening against Birmingham,” said the young ‘keeper/batsman.

“It was great to be a part of the squad, and then an absolute dream come true playing at Old Trafford against Lancashire. It’s an international set-up and to play in front of 9,000 fans was incredible. Mohammad Nabi played a world-class knock. It was a pleasure to watch it.

“We’ve produced four outstanding performances away from home but we’re all aware that if we want to qualify for the quarter-finals, we need to win our last four matches and that means winning both games at home.

“We owe it to the fans to put in a performance at home, they’ve supported us in their numbers and we haven’t repaid their support as of yet, but we’re desperate to change that and hopefully we can and secure a quarter-final place.”

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