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 Liam Dawson, 18 years old batting at 5 for Hants in tonight's pro40, apparently is principally a slow left armer, and playing for E u19's tomorrow....Swindon born, went to school at Calne, John Bentley.  Anyone know him?

Johno probably knows him....

I would expect so, he's around that age isn't he? 

 It would be good if he develops...Wiltshiremen who've played for England are a bit thin on the ground....Jon Lewis would be the most recent, Ken Palmer played a Test and Robin Hobbs was a tidy leggy, I'm starting to struggle after those three.

I used to have a few knock around with him a few years back. Johno and ReevesforEngland knows him to.

 Played well... 43 off about 30 odd deliveries...if he can bowl, who knows.

looks a very good cricketer - bats, bowls and fields.

his club side used to be goatacre - which i believe r4e used to play for, then he moved to south wilts, but i think he was gonna play for goatacre a couple of weeks back before it got rained off

If he's that young I am sure that TCP90 will be very familiar with him! :eek:

he is a hottie - I remember when he was just a chubby little nipper running round Goatacre cricket club - good mates with some of the lads I work with

one of the interesting things about dawson is that he bowls left-arm and throws right-arm

 Same as my kid...I tried to get him to bowl right as well in his formative years, as a variation...he just can't do it.

 Bloody ell JFW, your head is easily turned by a bit of sporting celebrity n'est pas.

The trouble is they are all so young Reg and Im way past my prime  :cry:

 I'd suggest you've got a good few years yet, before you reach your prime.

Theres a really cute 18 year old I lifeguard with - he worked out that I could be old enough to be his mother - he then proceeded to put the neckalce that someone found on the bottom of the pool with the "mum" pendant on it round my neck

That says it all really!  :cry:

 I suppose because a women's biological clock ticks at a different rate to a fellas, these things seem to worry you more.

 Last summer when my Czech ladyfriend was staying with me, my kid (then 20) used to wind her up something rotten about being all of 24.

It sounds like JFW wants to become a mother, are you preggers?

I think JFW would suit motherhood

err no thanks - I need to get my excercise to dance certifcate first before I get fat and unfit

He's currently playing for Hants against Somerset at Taunton and just taken two wickets.
I saw him play against Gloucs last sunday at Cheltenham.Didn't realise how young he is
and thought he batted and bowled tidily, at the end of both teams innings.

To bump this three years later, he's just been thumped for five consecutive sixes in a First Class game by Ben Stokes of Durham. At least he avoided being a trivia question by going for six in an over.

Got a half century in the first innings mind, and now out to open the batting for Hants.

Is there much interest in County Championship thread here or do we only really pay attention to the international stuff?

He's gone backwards in the last 2 years, couldnt buy a run for Goatacre in club cricket at the end of last year... ironically the game he did turn it on was against my lot (Devizes), got 6 for not many and 70-odd not out!

Problem is the pros (in general) aren't up for club cricket. They play club cricket half the time because they are told to by the county. There are some exceptions - if they are up for it, they can tear a game apart. I watched one player amble into a game at Warminster a couple of years back, get dropped 3 times before he hit double figures playing ridiculous shots - got a rocket from the skipper for playing like an arse, and went on to score 185 not out. The talent's there - the attitude isn't a lot of the time. 

Anthony Ireland was really poor at Thornbury; Coughtrie, who came out at 3 for Glos this week, couldn't buy a run for Hatherley last year, and that's not even Premier League. Rob Woodman was a walking wicket at Chippenham (but pretty handy with the ball) - there are countless examples.

Dawson was in Hampshire's first batch of youngsters for a while to come through and maybe (at a guess) it went to his head a bit. Suince then they've brought through some more: Riazuddin, Briggs, Vince (another one who played a few games at Chippenham last year, did next to nothing and then piled on the runs for Hants). Dawson's not the up and coming superstar any more (Briggs seems to be, next England spinner if you believe what the press) and perhaps under a bit more pressure. I'm sure he'll come good though.

where do you play moonraker?

Don't think that's true at all. He's a pretty down to earth kinda guy.

I've always thought Liam was sound, Brad's a gobby little shite though, so's their old man who is still under the illusion his left arm trundle is rapid!

103* overnight against Somerset, really starting to look good opening the batting for Hampshire, third highest run getter in the Championship with 354 from 6 innings.

Not getting much of a bowl mind.

And in other Swindon lads news, Craig Miles, brother of my old school captain is making his debut for Gloucestershire today at the grand old age of 16.

he played for lansdown last season didn't he? a guy i played with for a few years at somerset, Alex Barrow, is making his Championship debut for Somerset against Durham atm.