Samit Patel has won the inaugural BBC Test Match Special Under 15 Young Cricketer of the Year Award.

He was voted for the prize by a panel of judges which comprised of Paul Farbrace (England Under 15 Team Coach), John Weitzel (England Under 15 Team Manager), Hugh Morris (ECB Technical Director) and Ken Lake (General Secretary of the England Schools Cricket Association).

The announcement was made live on air during Test Match Special's coverage of the Fifth Cornhill Test Match between England and the West Indies at The Oval.

Patel, who attends Worksop College in Nottinghamshire, featured strongly in the England Under 15 Team which competed in the Costcutter Under 15 World Challenge in August. England lost at the semi-final stage to Pakistan but Patel, a right-handed batsman and left-arm spin bowler, emerged as England's key player.

In four games he scored 159 runs at an average of 53, with a top score of 58 against India in the group stage, and he took seven wickets at an average of 11.

Paul Farbrace said, "He scored more runs for England than anyone else in the tournament, he took seven wickets and he is a superb fielder. Not only is he an exceptional talent with fantastic ability, but he also has the mental strength and desire to do well in the game. When the team was under pressure in the semi-final against Pakistan, he showed maturity and guts beyond his years."

The Test Match Special Young Cricketer of the Year Award was introduced this year as part of the England and Wales Cricket Board's new five-year deal with BBC Radio which secured the future of the long-running Test Match Special programme.

For further information, please contact Mark Hodgson, ECB Corporate Affairs on 020 7432 1251 / 07767 764 947

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