FOUR teenagers from a small town cricket club which almost folded were selected to play for Durham at a county championship match.

The lads from Crook Town Cricket Club were all called up to play for Durham County Cricket Club’s Under 14s team against Yorkshire at Headingley, in Leeds, yesterday.

Committee chairman David Nevins has been at the helm of the club since 2012 when it was saved from the brink of closure and spoke of his delight at the “unique” selection of four club juniors.

“I have never known a club ever have four players in a county side,” he said. “It’s virtually half a side from one club.

“I’m proud of the boys to have achieved that and it’s a magnificent achievement by the coaching staff.”

Fourteen-year-olds Jamie Wills and Daniel Pratt and 13-year-olds Will Barnham and Thomas Hodgson travelled down to compete in the team of 11 at the County Junior Championships.

They were accompanied by first class coach Andrew Pratt who was taken on by the club alongside Stephen Chapman five years ago, when a programme to boost the club was drawn up.

Apart from his son Daniel, the young cricketers had never played the sport until a few years ago.

Mr Pratt said: “These kids were footballers and were all on the same team. I was short of players and asked if they wanted to come and play.

“In the last two to three years they have gone from nothing to playing for the county.”

Though they have all played for the county previously, it is rare to be picked in such numbers from one club out of hundreds in the county.

And Daniel and Will have even stepped up to play on the Crook club’s first team.

They train at least three times a week - twice with coaches - at the ground in Crook as well as at Durham County Cricket Club, at Chester-le-Street.

Former professional cricketer Mr Nevins attributed the youngsters’ success to the club’s development drive which has been in force for half a decade.

The team took on first class coaches and has since produced four coaches including Gillian Holmes.

“Our mission statement was to develop the club with home grown players with a ground and club house to match,” added Mr Nevins. “Our goal is to be a premier club.”