A SCHOOLBOY is set to star on the England under-15 cricket tour of Sri Lanka.

Tom Gordon has been selected for the Bunbury Cricket Club tour to Sri Lanka in March 2017. The side is funded by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and is equivalent to the England under-15’s.

The Bede’s Senior School pupil beat tough competition to win a place in the side composed of the most talented young cricketers from England’s counties. The 15-year-old said: “When I found out I got selected I was really surprised and excited. I was buzzing.”

Tom is looking forward to playing his first match abroad and can expect to play against the Sri Lankan national under-15 side. He said: “I’m looking forward to playing in a different climate and different culture of cricket. It will be a great chance to gain more experience.”

He will also be expected to train for the tour at Loughborough MCC University, ECB’s national cricket performance centre, with state of the art indoor cricket coaching facilities.

The Eastbourne boy will be adding to his air miles as he will be touring South Africa in December with Sussex County Cricket Club Academy - which consists of the best young cricketers in the county.

He is a genuine all-rounder; a pace bowler who also bats. He has represented Bede’s Senior 1st XI since Year 9 and has impressed staff, despite playing with and against older students.

Tom, who started playing cricket in the back garden with his brother and was one of the youngest members selected by Sussex’s academy at age 14, is well on his way to a professional career like his cricketing hero Joe Root. He will soon start the academy’s winter training three times a week and matches in the summer, putting him in good stead for a future place in Sussex’s second XI.

Alan Wells, director of Cricket at Bede’s, Upper Dicker, and former England player and Sussex captain, said: “His 84 not out last year against Tonbridge 1st XI, given the context of the game, the finest innings I have seen from a young cricketer.

“Having seen Tom develop through our prep school cricket programme since the age of eight, I have always been convinced that Tom has a very bright future in the game. His selection for the tours this winter are just the start of what I believe will be a very successful journey for Tom.”

Bede’s Senior School in Upper Dicker has an all-year round cricket programme. Coaches including former Sussex cricketers Neil Lenham and James Kirtley, the school has form in developing strong cricketers.

Mr Wells added: “To get international recognition at that age is very difficult. For Tom then to go on and represent his region and then be selected nationally is superb and extremely difficult.”