Lancashire’s X-Pro U-13 team starts Sri Lanka tour on a high

The X-Pro Cricket Academy U-13 team from Lancashire arrived in Sri Lanka on April 8 to begin a 10-day cricket tour.

The team flew from Manchester to Colombo on an Emirates flight and opened their tour with a 45-over match against the NCC U-13 Academy at the NCC Ground in Colombo, winning the game.

The squad, led by coaches David Latin and Jhon Stevens, includes players who represent Lancashire U-13s.

The tour is coordinated by former Sri Lanka cricketer Amal Dalugoda, now based at Cricket World in Bolton.

Coach David Latin said, "It's brilliant to land in Colombo and play. What we don't get at home is sunshine, so it's going to be a great opportunity for these boys and it will create memories for a lifetime."

He added, "We've got a competitive team, we will play against many, many good players, and if our boys can deal with the spin then I think we have got a great chance of representing England really well."

The tour includes matches against several local academy teams and will conclude with a 45-over match against the CCC U-13 Academy at Colts Ground in Colombo on April 17.

The players will also experience local New Year’s celebrations on April 14.

Squad: Dave Makinson (Captain), Kian Walsh, Milan Kumar, Hrithvik Prakesh, Matthew Fern, Rion Dalugoda, Mohammed Saif Javed, Dylan Riley, Shannon McGowan, Daniel Rafiq, Chris Fern, Harry Mercer, Max Wren.