A BURY teenager has been crowned as a prince of Lancashire cricket.

George Harris, 13, has received the first ever Player of the Month trophy by Lancashire Cricket Club (LCC), and AO, which sponsored the awards ceremony at Woodbank Cricket Club.

After joining LCC at 11, George has gone on to score over 700 runs in a short time, becoming a key member of the club’s under-13s and under-15s and senior teams.

Before representing the Red Rose, George played for Woodbank, where he still plays on the first XI.

He said: “I got my love of this sport probably from growing up around it, and playing it with my dad.

“I was pretty nervous to pick up the trophy because I was told I had to make a speech.

“It has been brilliant to have so many people supporting me, and it’s a great reminder of how far you can go if push yourself.

“Being one of the only kids at my school who is into cricket feels quite strange.

"Because if I played football at the same level I play cricket, my friends would be much more excited.

“Some people think of cricket as an old man’s sport but I don’t think it is, it’s just because football has more money.

“I hope the Cricket World Cup will change that.”

“I want to play cricket professionally; if I were to be picked up by the England team that would be crazy, especially when you think about where I cam from.”

George’s dad Anthony added: “This is an amazing achievement, to see his progress during this season has been brilliant.

“His playing has come on so much and we’re all very proud and will support his aspirations.

“He certainly has ideas of where he wants to be, going forward and knows how hard he will have to work.

“Representing Lancashire is an achievement that will stay with him his whole life and no one can take that away from him.”

Martin Ward, Woodbank's chairman, said: “He’s done absolutely brilliantly and to see win the award for all he has done fills us with pride.

“It’s just what we want to see and it’s fantastic to see.

“George is now a figurehead for younger players to look up to.”