PROMISING young cricketers from all over England were invited to Lords on March 17 and 18 but it was an Eltham boy who scooped the U15 player of the year title.

Babar Khan, 14, was given advice by some of the most famous coaches in the country and was delighted when he was named MCC Lords Taverners U15 Cricketer of 1998.

The Colfes School pupil picked up the Junior Sportsman of the Year at the Greenwich Sports Awards in January and has also earned a place in the South of England side for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies. "This is a dream - I never hoped to have had this opportunity at such a young age," he said.

"I am improving all the time. The help I get from my coaches at school, at Kent and at the MCC is giving me more and more confidence."

Babar had a fantastic 1997, scoring four centuries for his school team which went on to win the U13 Kent Cup.

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