He only stands five feet tall and weighs little more than 80 pounds.

But don't be fooled by his diminutive stature . . . Bilal Lambert, Somerset Bridge's promising 13-year-old off-break spinner stands tall whenever summoned to the crease.

Lambert fast made a name for himself at White Hill Field, announcing his arrival on the Western Counties stage against Willow Cuts last Saturday by taking two wickets for 48 runs, including the prized scalp of Wendell White for 53.

The teenager also held his own, not to mention his nerve, batting lower down the order - totally oblivious to the intimidating Cuts' 'umbrella' which tried in vain to unsettle the soon-to-be Berkeley Institute student.

Lambert gives credit to his uncle, Corvet Lambert, whom he says inspired him to play cricket.

"I played for my school (Sandys Middle School) during the past term and then I began playing around the neighbourhood," explained Lambert yesterday.

"I got a string, a cricket ball and a bat and I tied the string to the cricket ball and started hitting it out in the back yard so that I could work on my drives."

The youngster is a member of Bermuda's Under-19 ICC youth squad which heads off to Canada tomorrow.

"I feel very proud to have been chosen to go although I am a bit nervous," added Lambert, who is a great admirer of Western Stars' spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock and St.David's left-handed batsman Glenn Blakeney.

Like many aspiring youngsters, Lambert expresses a desire to play in Cup Match one day. And residing just across the 'bridge', it's not surprising that his Cup Match choice would be Somerset.

The youngster grabbed three wickets for 28 runs during a practice match for the Island's Under-19 youth squad and also took two wickets for 17 runs against Social Club for Bridge in a league contest.

But having reaped success with the ball, Lambert now wants to improve on his batting.

"I bat lower down the order and so I haven't been able to make any real runs," he noted. "But I just have to be a bit more aggressive."

Lambert conceded he was nervous during his Counties debut.

"I was nervous because I had a lot of high expectations. I really wanted to do well for my team," he said.

Surrounded by almost the entire Cuts team when he went into bat proved to be a nerve racking experience for the colt.

"I really had to think because I wanted to hit the ball. But I decided to just place it because it was the last over of the game."

Lambert finished unbeaten without scoring, and can barely wait for next year to finally open his county account.

Dean Stephens and not Ryane Shepherd, as was reported, took two wickets for 37 runs during Bridge's 111-run Western Counties' loss to Willow Cuts on Saturday.