Youngster among county's elite

8:51am Sat Oct 15, 2011

Talented young cricketer Will Cousins has been selected for the prestigious Notts Emerging Players Programme.

Will, 13, plays for Collingham CC under-15s and this season has also progressed through the club’s senior teams to make his first XI debut.

He has been in Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club age group sides since he was ten, with two years in the under-11 squad before progressing to the under-12s and under-13s.

He has had a successful season with the under-13 squad and, as a result, has been awarded a place on the elite programme run by ECB level four coach Edward Burke, of Newark, at Trent Bridge.

It aims to give the players the physical, technical and mental knowledge and skills to progress to the County Academy.

There are 20 boys and girls, aged 13 to 15, on the ten-month programme, which starts on November 7.

They are selected on ability and attitude with places continually reviewed at the twice weekly training sessions.

Last season two other Collingham Juniors, Brittany Russell-Webster, 16, and her sister Tamarind, 14, of North Scarle, were also selected for the programme.

Will, who has been playing cricket at Collingham since he was six, is also captain of the under-13 cricket team at King’s School, Grantham, which reached the finals of the Banbury under-13 National Schools Cup this summer.

He is an all-rounder with a career best of 91 not out playing for King’s against Lincoln Minster School and best bowling figures of three for 15, achieved this summer for Notts U13 against Lancashire.

He said he was pleased to have been given the chance to take part in the programme.

“It is a great opportunity for me and I’m looking forward to it.” he said.