Ishraj Jandu has been rewarded for his fine summer by being named as one of two new names in the Nottinghamshire Academy intake for 2018-19.
The 16-year-old took 21 wickets at an average of 20.67 for the Under 17s, going on to make his second team debut against the MCC Young Cricketers in June, returning figures of 2-18 and 1-27.
The Plumtree Cricket Club seamer will be looking to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Jack Blatherwick and Lyndon James, who both made their debuts for the Club this summer, with the former also signing his first professional deal.
Sol Budinger meanwhile, who enjoyed a number of appearances for the seconds, has also been added to the eight retained from last year.
The wicketkeeper-batsman scored 744 across all three formats for the seconds and will be looking to continue that form in his bid to push for first team selection.
The 20-year-old will be splitting his time between Australia and Trent Bridge this winter, as he joins up with the Academy programme from November.
Meanwhile, Academy members Nick Kimber and Jordan Cook both enjoyed England Under 19s call-ups over the summer, with the former also included in the Young Lions’ squad for the first half of the winter.
Here are the ten players on the Nottinghamshire Academy programme for next year:
Louis Bhabra
DOB: 12 March 2001
Missed a large chunk of the 2018 season through injury and will be hoping to make up for lost time next summer. A promising all-rounder, he managed 389 runs in just four games on his return to the U17s side at the back end of the summer, at an average of 55.57. That included innings of 143 and 121 in consecutive weeks, against Warwickshire and Cricket Wales respectively.
Sol Budinger
DOB: 21 August 1999
Awicketkeeper-batsman, Budinger enjoyed a fine year for Nottinghamshire’s Seconds and joins the Academy for the first time. The 20-year-old scored 744 across all three formats for the Second XI last summer including 109 against Lancashire. He will be splitting his time between Australia and Trent Bridge this winter as he looks to follow in the footsteps of Lyndon James and Jack Blatherwick and make his senior debut in 2019.
Jordan Cook
DOB: 7 January 2000
The hard-hitting right-handed all-rounder has enjoyed another breakthrough summer, in which he made his England Under 19 debut against South Africa, winning the man of the series accolade for his side. The 18-year-old took 4-30 against the Proteas at Chester-le-Street in July during his first appearance but couldn’t stop England falling to a 79-run defeat. He has attributes similar to Matt Carter in that he uses his height to get bounce and spins the ball very well.
Joey Evison
DOB: 14 November 2001
One of three Under 17s in the squad, Evison was a regular in the Seconds but found his best form as part of the Under 17s, scoring 491 runs in just seven matches including two centuries and two fifties and an average of 61.38. Currently studying at Stanford School, who have Zak Chappell as an alumnus, Evison also became one of the youngest players to score a Premier League hundred in 2017, aged just 15.
Chris Gibson
DOB: 24 May 1999
A right-handed opening batsman Gibson began 2018 with a bang, scoring a century in the first game of the year against Loughborough MCCU. Went on to make 848 runs in total for the Seconds, including 148 against MCC Young Cricketers in June. The T20 format also saw the 19-year-old bowl handy leg-spin, picking up 11 wickets at an average of just 13.73 and with best figures of 3-18.
Lyndon James
DOB: 27 December 1998
Made a memorable first team debut in September against Essex at Trent Bridge, removing Test duo Murali Vijay and Tom Westley as well as Dan Lawrence on his way to figures of 3-54. At the end of season awards night he took home the Academy player of the year award for 2018 and is tipped to have much more to come with the bat, after scoring 887 runs for the Seconds, averaging 48.78 in the Championship alone.
Ishraj Jandu
DOB: 31 December 2001
Our second Under 17 on the Academy, Jandu took 21 wickets at an average of 20.67 for his age group, going on to make his second team debut against the MCC Young Cricketers in June, returning figures of 2-18 and 1-27. The Plumtree Cricket Club seamer will be looking to make an impression in his first year on the programme, and follow the examples of progression given by a number of his colleagues.
Nick Kimber
DOB: 16 January 2001
Aspiring all-rounder Kimber has enjoyed a summer full of international recognition, making his England Under 19 debut against South Africa in the same match as Cook and being part of the Test squad against the same opposition. Aged just 17, he was clocked at speeds in excess of 85mph during that match and has been named as part of the England Young Lions squad for the first half of the winter, which includes a training camp in India. Studying his A Levels at Oakham, the same school which Stuart Broad attended.
Callum Metcalf
DOB: 10 August 2001
Our third Under 17 in the group, Callum is an all-rounder who joined the Academy last year from our outreach programme that we have in Norfolk. Struggled with injury towards the end of the season but, with the ability to bowl a heavy ball, he will be looking to make big gains next summer.
Liam Patterson-White
DOB: 8 November 1998. Born: Sunderland.
An all-rounder in the mould of Nottinghamshire fan favourite Samit Patel, the only difference being that Patterson-White bats left-handed. Impressed with the bat in Second Eleven Championship cricket last summer, averaging 62.5 across seven matches, then in particular with the ball in the T20s, taking nine wickets at 20.78 and going at less than seven an over. Hits the ball very hard with the bat and is very accurate with the ball in hand.
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