SOUTH Wilts’ pace bowling talent Luke Evans has been named Southern Premier League Young Cricketer of the Year.

The 21-year old right-armer took 38 Premier Division wickets for the Bemerton club this summer taking his total in the Premier Division to 108.

He took another 29 wickets playing Minor Counties cricket for Wiltshire during the summer and, in total, captured 100 wickets all forms of competitive action.  

He was runner-up to Harry Came, the St Cross Symondians’ batsman, in 2017.

Commenting on Evans’ award, South Wilts’ director of cricket Tom Morton said: “Luke has experienced a lot of success with his bowling in the last 18 months.

“He has worked hard within the Southampton Solent University cricket programme over a four-year period and his skill-set and confidence has grown immensely.

“Not only did he perform well in the Premier League, he was also very successful in Minor County cricket and played numerous county second team fixtures, including taking five wickets for Middlesex late in the season.”

When he returns from a winter playing alongside South Wilts’ team-mate Ben Draper for the Melbourne club Parkdale.

Evans is the 38th winner of the Young Cricketer award, introduced in 1981 in memory of Waterlooville’s John Millett. 

He is the third South Wilts player to win the award after Tom Morton (2005) and James Hayward the following year.