Hants retire 'boy wonder' on 125

TIM RAVENSCROFT has hit his maiden century for Hampshire and yet he still came away from it feeling a little bit 'annoyed'. The 12-year-old Elizabeth College student was playing for the county's under-12 side in Cheltenham when he brought up the magical three figures for the first time competitively in his short career. (He hit three centuries last year in local friendlies.)

Opening the batting, he was dropped off a top edge from the second ball he faced and made opponents Gloucestershire pay dearly.

He made an unbeaten 125 out of his side's 326 for three in 50 overs and was retired by his coach with 23 overs of the innings still remaining to allow other batsmen in the team time in the middle after having two matches rained off so far this season.

'It was tea and they wanted to give someone else a bat - I would have liked to have got 150,' said the youngster, although he admitted with a grin that he could easily have been out for a duck.

'Their opening bowlers were quite good. They swung it around quite a lot and their first change bowler was quite quick.'

Ravenscroft, whose simple philosophy is that he 'likes to score runs', faced 119 deliveries and hit five sixes in his ton.

He shared in an opening stand of 186 with Tom Derby who made 83.

The Guernsey boy would later take a wicket as Gloucestershire were bowled out for 157.

Yesterday, he was in action again and this time fell agonisingly short of his hundred as a Guernsey under-12 XI beat visiting Belmont School at the College Field.

Ravenscroft finished on 99 not out in the first 25-over innings of the match after hitting the last ball of the innings for six.

And he certainly impressed former England test player Jack Birkenshaw.

'He is a terrific talent but he is not just a batsman, he can bowl as well. He is an off-spinner who turns it,' Birkenshaw said.

Jason Shambrook, coach of the Guernsey under-12s, added: 'He plays cricket in the way it should be played and that is looking to score runs. That is what we are trying to do with all our kids,' he said.

Adam Hindle also stood out for his county at the weekend scoring 42 for Wiltshire against Gwent.