AFTER a taste of England action Great Cheverell youngster Tom Stayt wants more.

Stayt got on the Old Trafford pitch when England played the West Indies last August. He was asked to travel up to be England's twelfth man after finishing his Gloucestershire academy game. Getting on in front of 20,000 at the third test Stayt has whetted his appetite.

Stayt, 19, from Bartletts, has also played at Lord's for Bath in their National Club final defeat against Sandiacre Town in September 2003.

He said: "I am still learning all the time and picking up tips from the players at Gloucestershire as well. I speak to Jon Lewis at training. I am trying to base my bowling action on his style."

The Exeter University student, who started playing cricket when he was eight, signed a summer contract with Gloucestershire last year and has been given a further two-year extension .

"I start full-time in the summer and I cannot wait. I probably won't get into the first team yet but it will be great to train alongside them," he said.

His best bowling figures are 6-40 on his second team debut for Gloucestershire two years ago.

Gloucestershire Academy director, Stuart Barnes, said: "If he keeps progressing he will come up and play for us full-time once he has finished studying in Exeter."

TEENAGER James Vince has already doubled his tonne tally this season.

Vince, 14, of Common Hill, Steeple Ashton, has scored four 100s in his short career, two of them this season.

After playing for Erlestoke's U13s at nine he progressed to the Witshire U11s at ten, scoring 43 on his debut.

He was selected for West of England trials in 2003 and was awarded his West of England Cap last summer. He also joined the Hampshire Junior Academy.

Academy director Tony Middleton, said: "Hopefully he will have a good season and could come on the main academy this year."

Vince, who used to be part of Reading Football Club's academy, said he will be out to impress everyone.

He said: "I enjoy captaining Wiltshire and I think it is helping me develop as a cricketer quicker because I am having to make decisions and decide where the field placings should be. Hampshire has really improved the technical side of my game."

THE story goes Gloucestershire and Thornbury's Martyn Ball came back from playing Chippenham after the first game of this season and told academy director Stuart Barnes: "you have to watch out for this kid."

Liam Dawson, 15, of Hazel Grove, Calne, started playing cricket when he was five before progressing to the Goatacre men's third team when he was seven.

By the time he was 11 he was playing in the second side and a year later he moved to Chippenham and played U13s and U15s cricket. He is now an opening for Chippenham firsts and captain of Hampshire's main academy.

After picking up two man-of-the-match awards in the West of England's tour to the West Indies, Dawson now has his sights set on a first England cap. He took three catches during the Caribbean tour and took three wickets for three runs in four overs in front of 1,600 spectators at a Police Sports Ground in Guyana.

He is hoping his performance will help secure a place in the England U15 side to face Ireland and Guyana in August.

He said: "It's always been cricket, then football. You'd always like to play for your country but my goal's first class cricket."

Middleton, said: "He's played in the first team at Chippenham for a year or so which has done him a lot of good.

"He also plays regularly for our U17 academy. Certainly we feel the potential's there with Liam but there's still a long way to go with the development."

CALNE teenager Courtney Earl's attitude has impressed former coach Peter Knight most.

He discovered Earl when walking to the cricket club and saw Earl was playing cricket with his brother.

He asked him to attend training at Calne and watched as his protge turned out for the district and county sides before progressing to the Hampshire academy.

Knight said Earl, 14, from Brook Way, is the best player to come from Calne's youth set-up so far.

"He's a big strong lad and he works hard at his game. When he first started he was not over keen about batting but he has worked hard and he has become quite accomplished," he said.

Earl, who now plays for Chippenham, is surprised how quickly he has progressed. "I've got trials next week for the West side and if that goes well I will be selected to play in the West Indies next year."

He said training at Hampshire has helped him progress. "Ian Rowe trains us and also the first team, and people like Kevin Pietersen."