It is always a special moment for a county bowler to oust an international star – and no doubt even more so as a youngster coming through the system.
So here is the story of Yorkshire Academy starlet Harry Sullivan and how he bamboozled former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews in the summer just gone.
Sullivan, aged 17, is a left-arm spinner from Leeds.
During the World Cup, all counties were asked to provide net bowlers for the international sides at their host venues, with those bowlers coming from the age-groups, Academy and second team.
Academy head coach Richard Damms takes up the story.
He said: “Young Harry is bowling at Mathews in the nets, and he’s bowling nicely. He bowls this beauty which has drift, loop, spin – everything – and it bowled him.
“So, anyway, Mathews came over to him afterwards and presented him with the ball, which had initially been provided by the Sri Lankans for the nets.
“I said to Sully, ‘Mate, get him to sign it’. And he did. It was a really nice moment for him – one he won’t forget in a hurry.”
Yorkshire’s new signing Dawid Malan is enjoying a productive spell of T20 in the Bangladesh Premier League at the moment, including a fifth career century as an early Christmas present.
