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This year’s youngest Cup Match player itching to take on Somerset batters

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Teenage fast bowler Luke Fulton is making first Cup Match appearance for St George’s

Teenager Luke Fulton is eager to take on the Somerset batsmen as he makes his Cup match debut in “enemy territory”.

Fulton, a fast bowler, is one of four colts blooded by St George’s in Bermuda’s biggest sporting event alongside Marcus Scotland, Jarryd Richardson and Kevon Fubler.

He will most likely share the new ball with Zeko Burgess as the East Enders go in search of the 20 wickets they need to wrestle away the cup they surrendered in 2012, and Fulton is looking forward to the big event.

“I’ve heard from a lot of people that there’s no atmosphere like Cup Match,’’ Fulton, 17, told The Royal Gazette.

“I think I’ll be a bit nervous to start with but once I start bowling, the crowd just disappears.

“When I’m playing any sport that’s what happens and I don’t pay attention to the crowd, it’s just what’s happening in front of me.”

Fulton has already taken some huge scalps this season, including clean bowling Kamau Leverock for a duck in the Western Counties competition, and the courage of youth means he is unfazed by the opposition.

“I think I’ve bowled to most people in the Somerset team,” Fulton said.

“I recently got Kamau Leverock for a duck so hopefully that will still be in the back of his mind when he’s batting. Malachi Jones also knows about me since we both play for Warwick and it should be a good battle.”

With St George’s needing 20 wickets to dethrone Somerset, Fulton is in no doubt about what the selectors have brought him in to do.

“I’m in to take wickets as quickly as possible,’’ he said.

“That’s the main objective, to get as many wickets as I can and not really worry too much about how many runs I give away.

Gunning for Somerset batters: Luke Fulton celebrates bowling Kamau Leverock for a duck (Photograph by Ras Mykkal)

“You want to be searching for wickets and get them out as quickly as possible because it’s hard to get four innings done in two days.”

After picking up just one wicket in the final trial match on Saturday, Fulton, whose great-grandfather was the first GP in St George’s in 1948, had his eyes glued on the team announcement.

“I was watching the live stream when I heard that the St George’s team was ready,’’ he said.

“It was 11.30pm, which was a surprise because it’s normally late, it was 2am last year or something like that.

“I didn’t hear my name until the end, I think I was the last one called. I was quite nervous and in disbelief, but I was really excited.”

Ahead of the Annual Classic, Fulton has been picking up some valuable lessons from the experienced players in the St George’s team and will be leaning on them for words of wisdom.

“Zeko has given me a bit of advice, like running in and angles, which is quite helpful listening to him as a fast bowler,” Fulton said.

“Onias [Bascome] and Delray [Rawlins ] are just trying to make me comfortable on the team and I really like the way Onias is handling things.”

The young cricketer, who picked up 13 wickets for Warwick Workmen's in the Premier Division 50 overs in 2023, moved to Repton School in England last August, where he is coached by Martin Speight, a former Sussex and Durham professional.

“I have learnt a lot of things and I think a lot of Bermudians know who Martin Speight is as he’s a really fantastic coach,’’ Fulton said.

“The biggest difference since being there is my bowling run up, which I would say I didn’t think about before.

“I’ve also worked on my action and getting more upright. I did a lot of gym work in the winter term because I was injured, so I could do something.

“I was one step away from having a stress fracture after the under-19 tour to Canada in August and I was out for about six to seven weeks.

“I was quite looking forward to getting straight into the school squad, so I was disappointed with that, but I knew I had to keep working.”

There has been a lot of excitement from Fulton’s family, with his mother cutting short her holiday to witness her son in action.

“My dad was down in the kitchen when I ran to tell him I’d been picked and he said how proud he was,” Fulton said.

“I then got a few phone calls the next day from my grandpa and the rest of the family said it was a huge accomplishment. My mum was away but she’s actually flown back to come and watch me play Cup Match.”

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Published July 31, 2024 at 7:57 am (Updated July 31, 2024 at 11:04 am)

This year’s youngest Cup Match player itching to take on Somerset batters

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