DELRAY Rawlins has been selected for the England Under-19 development programme after his school side faced up to Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

The Bede’s First XI captain will be hoping to impress on the programme with the possibility of selection for England later this year to aim for.

The selection comes following his success last year in a regional representative side in England, where he was one of three Sussex players chosen to represent London and East in the ECB’s Under-17 Super Four competition at the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University.

Rawlins also shone against the MCC, owners of Lord’s Cricket Ground, who visited the school in Upper Dicker earlier this month where some top quality cricket was displayed despite the dreadful weather.

The MCC won the toss and elected to bat, with the game being reduced to 40 overs per side due to the rain.

With cloudy overhead conditions and the ball seaming around, the MCC lost a couple of early wickets before eventually ending up on 246 for 7 from their allotted overs as former Bede’s student Toby Glover chipped in with a useful 37.

In reply, Bede’s superb partnership of 101 between Sussex academy cricketers Joe Billings and captain Rawlins meant the hosts looked set to mount a challenge for the total.

But the rain came down again and the match was forced to be abandoned with Bede’s finishing on 173 for 7 with 9 overs to go.