Academy scholar eyeing World Cup spot

After tasting international cricket this summer, Kent’s talented teenage wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson is bidding to win more England recognition at Under-19 level, writes Peter Burrowes.

The former Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School student won Test and One day international caps against India Under-19 including an ODI at The Spitfire Ground, as part of Canterbury Cricket Week.

The England youngsters lost all seven matches played against their Indian counterparts but Robinson said “we learnt a great deal from the experience”.

Now the Kent academy scholar is hoping to be part of the England squad for the World Cup in New Zealand in January and February 2018 in a group which includes Bangladesh, Namibia and Canada.

There is a get together tournament in South Africa later this year and the squad will be announced before the end of the month.

Robinson said: “I enjoyed every minute of the England experience although it was tough at times against a highly talented Indian team.

“The way they played against us must make them favourites for the tournament. We could not cope with their spin attack but it was a great learning curve which should help us in the future.”

Robinson, who has been a regular member of Kent’s Second XI this season and recently received the John Aitken Trophy award for most promising scholar for the second successive year.

He scored 114 against Sussex in a Second XI Championship match at Polo Farm and shared the England wicket-keeping position with Somerset’s Tom Banton and both received valuable help and advice from the former England and Nottinghamshire gloveman Bruce French.

Ollie was particularly disappointed with his own personal performance in the match at Canterbury when he was run out for a duck off a free hit following the bowling of a no ball.

“The match was being televised and I was playing on my home ground so I wanted to do well

“I tried to get off the mark with a silly quick single and got stranded mid-wicket after being sent back by my batting partner. It was a real choker but it taught me a lesson”,

Robinson has had something to celebrate as the season comes to an end having been part of the Beckenham team, which won the Shepherd Neame Kent Premier League title with Kent batsman Alex Blake.

Kent Reliance are the proud sponsor of the Kent Cricket Academy programme