Series defeat was tough but all eyes now on World Cup!

ENGLAND’S U19s were on the end of quite the hammering at the hands of their Indian counterparts earlier this summer but Tom Lammonby managed to emerge with more credit than most.

The 17-year-old lefthanded all-rounder topped England’s batting averages during their 5-0 series defeat on home soil and was subsequently named man of the series, bolstering his chances of earning a call-up for next year’s World Cup in New Zealand.

Before that, Lammonby, who is currently part of Somerset’s academy set-up, will be aiming to further strengthen his case when he represents his country in a Tri-Series against South Africa and Namibia, which gets under way at the tail end of November.

The India series was the Somerset youngster’s first international involvement and, naturally, it has left him hungry for more.

“Obviously, losing 5-0 isn’t ideal but to be exposed to the England U19s was a really good learning curve and to do well was the icing on the cake, really,” said Lammonby, who is a pupil at Exeter School.

“I kind of expected to just go in and play a few games but to play all five was a success already and then to score a few runs and take a few wickets was really good.

“Being called up was a bit of a weird situation but it was nice to feel that I belonged in the side and, hopefully, I have a few more games to come. I guess everyone’s striving to aim for the World Cup.”

Earlier this month, Lammonby followed in the footsteps of Somerset contemporaries Lewis Gregory, Craig and Jamie Overton, and England women’s captain Heather Knight by winning the Buller Bowl, a prize handed out to the outstanding young cricketer of the year, at the Devon Cricket Board awards.

The teenager has broken into the 2nd XI fold in Taunton but he has also spent plenty of time honing his craft at Exeter CC.

Lammonby’s father Glenn, who hails from Perth in Australia, is a former Exeter captain and is also the club’s chairman of selectors, paving the way for the Somerset youngster’s introduction to the game.

“Dad is chairman of selectors – that helps me get picked every week!” he joked. “It was quite a big factor to me getting into cricket, him playing in Australia and then coming over here.

“I’ve been involved in cricket since I was born, so it’s always been part of my life. I used to spend a lot of time down there, and I’m still playing there, trying to help them win as much as possible.

“I feel like I’m progressing well, up through the academy system. Skills take care of themselves but I’m also learning important life skills.

“This winter coming, the England stuff is top of my agenda. I’ll look to stick to my strengths and do what works for me, and hopefully that progresses into a few scores and some wickets.”