Meet Tom Prest, England’s ace all-rounder and captain at U19 World Cup 2022
One of the eye-catching young talents on display at this year’s ICC U-19 World Cup has been Tom Prest. The right-hand bat and off-break bowler is captaining his nation at the youth World Cup in the Caribbean. Prest, 18, has led his team from the front, shining with both bat and ball.
At the end of England’s group stage campaign, Prest stands at the top of the runs-chart for his team with 251 runs from his 3 innings. He is averaging a jaw-dropping 125.50 with an astonishing strike-rate of 110.08.
The young gun has also taken 4 wickets from his three outings, with his miserly off-breaks helping him maintain an economy rate of just 3.72 at his end.
Tom Prest’s tournament tally includes stand-out performances versus Canada U-19 and UAE U-19 sides. After missing out against defending champions Bangladesh, Prest scored a run-a-ball 93 against Canada and backed that up with a tremendous 154 not out from 119 deliveries versus UAE.
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Tom Prest has been outstanding for England at U-19 World Cup 2022. (pic courtesy: Twitter/Hampshire County
Tom Prest emerges as England’s stand-out player at U-19 World Cup
Prest’s brilliance in either department has been instrumental to England’s winning run in the U-19 World Cup so far. The 18-year-old has been pivotal to his team’s cause, enabling their surge towards the knock-outs.
Born in March 2003 in Wimborne, Dorset, Prest is one of the rare cricketers featuring at this U-19 World Cup to have had senior domestic level experience under their belt. The Hampshire-based player has played two first-class matches, besides seven List A and T20 games apiece.
Notably, Prest made his first-class debut for Hampshire against Surrey via the 2021 edition of County Championship, England’s premier domestic first-class competition.
He featured in only two Championship fixtures but they would’ve done him a world of good, as he got the chance to face bowlers of greater quality in his build-up towards the U-19 World Cup.
Tom Prest didn’t have the best of pre-tournament series versus Sri Lanka in Colombo with the bat. But his undoubted ability and allround promise meant that the selectors kept their faith on him for the mega even in the West Indies.
The dominating hundred against UAE in St Kitts was Tom Prest’s maiden youth 50-over century. England will be hoping that their skipper continues his rich vein of form during the knock-out stage.