Whilst the newspapers have recently been full of the record-breaking football transfer deal by a former Cardiff schoolboy, several young Welsh cricketers have also been making a name for themselves in recent days, including Ruaidhri Smith of Cardiff CC who claimed a wicket with his first-ever ball for Glamorgan in senior cricket as he bowled Kent's Brendan Nash on the opening day of their County Championship encounter at the SWALEC Stadium.
A fortnight ago at Swansea, Andrew Salter claimed a wicket with his maiden ball in Championship cricket in the Championship match against Leicestershire, with the off-spinner becoming the first Glamorgan bowler since 1957 to achieve the feat in first-class cricket. Now barely a dozen days later, Smith - a former pupil of Llandaff Cathedral School - also achieved the feat with his first delivery for Glamorgan's senior team.
Yesterday, another Welsh schoolboy hit the headlines at Lord's by scoring a century on the hallowed turf at the historic ground, as Jeremy Lawlor - a member of the Glamorgan Academy - made 119 out of a total of 262-7 for the MCC Schools against their counterparts from the English Schools Cricket Association. The pupil from Monmouth School struck 14 fours and 3 sixes in his 134-ball innings, although it did not lead to a victory for his side as ESCA, captained by Aneurin Donald - another member of the Welsh county's Academy - made 264-4 to seal a six-wicket victory.
Whilst Ruardhri Smith wrote his name into the Glamorgan record books today at the SWALEC Stadium, both Lawlor and Donald were in action some five miles away at Cardiff CC, playing alongside each other for Glamorgan 2nd XI on the opening day of their three-day friendly against Leicestershire 2nd XI at the Diamond Ground.
