MICHAEL ROBINSON has become the first player ever at Evenwood Cricket Club to have taken five wickets for no runs - and he is just 13-years-old.

His remarkable achievement has earned him The Northern Echo's Cricketer of the Month award for July and he is now in contention for the overall Cricketer of the Year trophy.

Michael, who claimed the wickets in just 2.4 overs, has rightly deserved the plaudits from everyone at the club for his impressive display for Evenwood Under 15s against Mainsforth. And the person who nominated the teenager for the Cricketer of the Month award, second team captain John Teesdale, believes Michael's fete will go down in the club's history books.

"It's never ever been done before in the 37 years we have been formed," said John, 52. "I took five for one but Michael has done brilliant.

"You just have to think how easy it is for a batsman to pick up a quick run here and there, and Michael didn't even concede one."

Michael has been part of an in-form Evenwood side who have already claimed the Bob Hay Cup and have just clinched the South Division of the Durham County Junior League.

But John, whose brother Billy coaches the youngster for the Under 18s side, admits that clinching the Cricketer of the Month award is up there with the club's best silverware.

"These type of awards mean more to the club than actually winning anything else," said John. "It's because you have to realise that this is a 13-year-old who has recorded such great figures.

"These type of things make kids like Michael build up more confidence and then we can put him in for the occasional seconds team game."

Michael, an all-rounder who attends Staindrop School, was delighted with his trophy and revealed he hopes to continue to make progress on the cricket stage.

"I'm really proud," said Michael. "I've been playing for about three years and I love it. To win something like this is brilliant. I couldn't believe it when I actually bowled five of the players out without them scoring a run. But it's brilliant."

Billy Teesdale, 54, regularly selects Michael in his Under 18s line-up and he is convinced the Evenwood star is just one in a long line of budding international cricketers who could go on to make the grade at the club.

"We have currently got three juniors in the first team and four in the seconds," said Billy, whose elder brother Alf is also treasurer at the club. "It's all about bringing the kids through. If we can bring kids through and play them into the first team then we have done our jobs. That's what's happened in the past here and that's what we are aiming to keep up.

"Michael is a great kid and there are plenty of others here who are exactly the same."