GIFTED young cricketers from the region are being invited to apply for a prestigious training programme being held at a Colwyn Bay school.

Rydal Penrhos will once again be the North Wales Hub for the Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation, which offers high-quality cricket coaching to talented children in the state school system who have displayed the potential to become good cricketers.

The MCC will fund three coaches for 25 two-hour sessions at the school for under 13 and 15 players, which equates to a session every week in the off season.

The Hubs are put together, funded and mentored by the MCC Foundation. The day-to-day running of each Hub is left to a local manager, who runs local trials to identify talented children and who oversees the coaching sessions, which are open to male and female players.

Director of sport at Rydal Penrhos and Hub manager Allen Boyd announced that former Glamorgan and Wales star Dion Holden will once again be leading the coaching team, with the experienced all-rounder fresh off captaining North Wales Premier Division side Menai Bridge to a second placed finish last season.

He said: “It’s a brilliant opportunity to work with young aspiring cricketers from North Wales and I feel a block of structured sessions at Rydal Penrhos can only aid their cricket development.”

Joining Holden’s coaching staff for the sessions is Dewi Penrhyn-Jones, who has first class experience with Glamorgan and currently plays for Bowdon in the Cheshire County Premier League.

Anyone wishing to get involved is urged to contact Mr Boyd via email ABoyd@rydalpenrhos.com.