Longridge CC teenager is hailed for his contribution with bat and ball

The teenager took 5-47 in bowling out Netherfield for 141 in their Northern Premier Cricket League meeting at Newsham last Saturday.

Then, after Longridge lost a number of cheap wickets, he came to the wicket as last man and helped Lachlan Bangs guide them to a one-wicket win.

Wilson’s five-wicket haul means he is the league’s leading wicket taker this season, having recorded 44 dismissals; three more than Netherfield’s Joel Blain.

Little wonder then that his experienced team-mate, Ian Simpson, is more than impressed at what he has seen from the youngster.

“To be 16 years old and performing at the level he is doing is unbelievable,” he said of the young spinner.

“His temperament is fantastic because, if he gets hit for six, he tosses the next ball higher and challenges the batsman to do it again.

“He hasn’t done much with the bat but he hasn’t been asked to until the weekend and then, at the first opportunity, he has stood up and delivered.

“I wasn’t anywhere near first-team cricket when I was his age but his bowling is top drawer.”

Longridge now travel to Chorley on Saturday, sitting fifth in the table and 17 points behind leaders Leyland.

They kept in touch with the pacesetters after last Saturday’s nervy victory in a game where the bowlers had almost won the game for Longridge.

In reply, however, they fell from 114-4 to 140-9 with Blain taking 6-34 as Netherfield came close to an unlikely win.

“We kept them to what we thought was well under par,” Simpson said.

“Netherfield are a strong side, and when we were three or four wickets down, they smelled blood and kept going.

“Eventually, we scraped over the line and we beat one of the best teams in the league.”