Worcestershire Academy player Jack Haynes took another impressive step forward in his cricketing education by skippering the Bunburys 30th anniversary side during their recent tour of Sri Lanka.
The Malvern College pupil has made a massive impact for the Bunburys during the past two years and again led by example in scoring a century and defying the stifling heat against the Sri Lankans.
Now the 15-year-old is eligible to come into contention for selection for the end of summer Super Fours at Loughborough – effectively an Under-17 version of the Bunburys.
Academy Coach Elliot Wilson said: "What an honour for Jack to go and lead a very talented group of cricketers overseas at 15 years of age.
"He must have been very pleased with the opportunity to do that and I think it was well deserved.
"He has shown over the last two years he is the outstanding captain across the country in his age group.
"I think he has been really successful out in Sri Lanka with the way he has managed himself and the games and the feedback is he has been outstanding while he has been away.
"He got a couple of little scores and then he got a hundred in one of the games and it looks like Jack was the stand-out batter on the trip.
"To score a hundred in Sri Lanka, and the heat out there was very oppressive, and to manage yourself and your energies and to be able to bat for a lengthy time in that sort of heat is impressive thing for him to do."
Wilson knows it is important to keep things in perspective about Haynes' prospects while he is still such a tender age.
He said: "We are all excited about were Jack's cricket might move in the future but we are constantly having to keep reminding everyone that this lad is still so young.
"He is 15, in the last year of his GCSE's at Malvern College, and he has got two more years at school yet before we get too excited with him.
"But he is now eligible for Under-16s so he now jumps into the Super-Fours category and he will be selectable for that Under-17s Midlands side and fingers crossed he will be a strong candidate to be in that programme."