Young Cricketers: fantastic four go first-class

Date released: 20 September 2006

Four MCC Young Cricketers have signed contracts with first-class counties for the 2007 season - the highest number for a decade.

The four players - Will Gidman (Durham), Gary Wilson (Surrey), Kyle Tudge (Glamorgan) and Dawid Malan (Middlesex) - have been recruited after impressing for the MCC Young Cricketers in the 2nd XI Championship and Trophy.

Clive Radley, the Head Coach of the MCC Young Cricketers, and a former Middlesex and England batsman, said: “MCC is absolutely delighted for the guys. Signing county contracts is testament to all the hard work, determination and desire they have shown to make a future for themselves in the game. We wish them every success in the years ahead.”

MCC Head of Cricket, John Stephenson, another former England player, added: “MCC invests heavily in the Young Cricketers programme and they benefit from a superb coaching set-up led by Clive. It’s always pleasing to see the hard work pay off. We are proud that we have given these four players their grounding in the professional game, and we hope to see them kick on with their respective counties. MCC will continue to invest in the next generation of talent, and will look to make new signings for the 2007 season.”

Will Gidman, the younger brother of Alex, the Gloucestershire vice-captain and himself an ex-MCC Young Cricketer, has been a consistent all-round performer in each of his three seasons on the staff. He impressed Durham after trials with them in August and September. Clive Radley calls Gidman “the hardest working Young Cricketer we’ve ever had” and commented that “he was the perfect role model to the rest of our squad and is fully deserving of a county contract.”

Kyle Tudge, a slow left arm spinner and useful lower order batsman, was the top wicket-taker for the Young Cricketers (with 39 wickets) in 2006. His links to MCC will continue in 2007 as he will play for both Glamorgan and an MCC University Centre of Cricketing Excellence, Cardiff, where he has enrolled for further academic studies.

Gary Wilson, a wicket-keeper batsman, has played only periodically for the Young Cricketers in 2006 - his second season on the staff - after appearing for his native Ireland and enjoying a lengthy, and ultimately successful, spell trialling with Surrey.

Dawid Malan, a London born top-order batsman, was a new signing for 2006, having arrived from Paarl, South Africa. In just seven weeks, he performed superbly for the Young Cricketers and, with two 130s to his name, came to the attention of a number of counties; Middlesex won the race to sign him.

The MCC Young Cricketer squad in 2006 consisted of 21 players, eighteen men and three women. Other notable performers were Caroline Atkins (England) and William Porterfield (Ireland), who achieved the distinction of playing for their respective countries throughout the season.

Former recent MCC Young Cricketers include Hamish Marshall (New Zealand), Rikki Clarke (England) and Darren Sammy (West Indies).

For more information about the MCC Young Cricketers scheme, please click here.

Players' profiles: Will Gidman; Kyle Tudge; and Gary Wilson.