Sam Kelsall, Sam Wood and Brett Hutton have all signed professional contracts with Nottinghamshire after graduating from the club’s academy.

The trio, all 18, have signed two-year deals having spent last season on the periphery of the first team squad.

All three have represented England at Under 19 level and hope to feature in the ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in Australia in August having already made their first class debuts for Nottinghamshire in various circumstances.

Hutton was in the Nottinghamshire side that played against MCC in the Champion County fixture in Abu Dhabi, Wood featured as a replacement for Samit Patel against Lancashire at Trent Bridge following a mid-match England call-up and Kelsall was included in the side for the LV= County Championship match against Durham.

“All three players showed some promise last season and it is pleasing to take players on to our professional staff who have been in our academy since they were 13 years old,” said Nottinghamshire Director of Cricket Mick Newell.

“It is a credit to our Academy Director Chris Tolley and the specialist coaches that work with him that these players have made the transition.”

Former Notts duo Mike Hendrick and Paul Johnson and Strength and Conditioning Coach Kevin Paxton have a remit to work with the club’s professional and academy squads to ensure that consistent standards are applied at all stages of a player’s development.

Jake Ball and Scott Elstone earned professional contracts lasts season having emerged from the academy and Newell has already identified England Under 17 duo Tom Rowe and Simon Webster as players to watch.

“It’s encouraging to see players at different age groups with strong attributes and Tom and Simon have already caught the eye at England Under 17 level,” said Newell.

“Developing more of our own players is a key element of our cricket strategy but we keep an eye on the entire player market and anyone that graduates the academy and signs professional terms has to do so on merit and not simply because they were born locally.”