THOMAS Bright says that it would be a huge honour if he were to be handed the England U21s captaincy during his homecoming match later this month.

The U21s short mat bowls team regularly play friendly matches against county sides from across the country and will be testing themselves against Wiltshire on Sunday February 15 at Melksham’s Christie Miller Sports Centre.

Devizes’ Bright, 19, has played internationally since October 2013 and admits that playing against his county, who he also represents, will be a surreal experience.

“When we found out about the game, the Wiltshire captain (Chris Willis) jokingly sent the availability form,” said Bright, who is studying history at Bath Spa University.

“It’s going to be strange playing against Wiltshire but some of the guys there have said ‘let’s see what you young guys can do’ and because bowls isn’t really known as a sport for the younger generation, it will be nice to see if we can beat them at their own game.

“This will be my eighth match against the county. They change the captain for each game and, if I got picked, it would be nice to stand there at the start of the game and shake the hands of the Wiltshire captain on equal terms.

“It would be great to show that you’re not just a foot soldier and that you can lead people.

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