AN ASPIRING cricketer has been speaking on his experiences with the Lancashire youth squad on a recent landmark tour.

Arran Sen, a Year 8 pupil at Rydal Penrhos School in Colwyn Bay, was part of the Lancashire Cricket Under 13 squad that toured India to launch a pilot project aimed at the club’s future Academy cricketers undertaking annual overseas tours.

A 16-strong squad travelled to Mumbai alongside coaching staff and parents to play five fixtures, as well as take to part in a development programme designed to improve their cricket skills in a challenging environment.

The tour was implemented to aid their development as people as they partake in charity work by working with the Dharavi Cricket Academy, as part of the Project Front Foot initiative – a charity partner of the Lancashire Cricket Foundation.

Arran performed exceptionally well during the tour against some incredibly strong opposition, with the all-rounder opening the bowling and even managing to take the first wicket of the tour.

He said: “It was an absolutely amazing experience. I had no idea how popular cricket was in India.

“People were playing it absolutely everywhere. On the road, in the streets and there were ten games on at a time at one of the grounds we visited.”

The sports scholar was also presented with an opportunity to spend some time at the Vengsarkar Cricket Academy, where he took part in net sessions and got some helpful tips from some of the best coaches in the Mumbai region.

“It was a fantastic honour and the experience is one that I will never forget,” added Arran.

The talented player has been working hard on his game throughout the off-season thanks to Rydal Penrhos’ winter nets programme, and he has recently started training once again with Colwyn Bay’s senior set-up and hopes to break into their second XI this summer.