GLOUCESTERSHIRE batsman George Hankins has a great future in front of him after he was named England Under-19s Man of the Series after their tour of Sri Lanka.
The 19-year-old scored 188 runs at an average of 62.66 in the three match one-day contest.
The right hander was chosen by Sri Lanka’s coaching staff after the tourists clinched the series 3-0.
It followed their 1-0 win over England in the Test series.
Hankins was an ever-present in both formats but was singled out for his contribution in the 50-over-a-side games by England Development Programme (EDP) head coach Andy Hurry.
Hurry said: “George has played a lot of first-class cricket for Gloucestershire this year, so he put a wealth of experience into this under-19 series.
“He was disappointed not to kick on after making a start in the first four-day match, and not really making his mark on that series.
“But he’s definitely left a mark on the one-day series.
“What’s really encouraging to me is the way he managed his innings. He looks to accumulate runs, with good attacking intent and strong positive shots, but in a sensible way.”
Hankins, who made scores of 98 and 79 in his last two matches for England, is available for Gloucestershire’s run-in to the end of the County Championships.
And reflecting on his time with England, Hankins said: “It was a very good experience against a very competitive Sri Lankan team.
“It was a shame we didn’t get the results we wanted but it was a challenge for me, particularly facing a lot of spinners and I learned a lot.
“Obviously the Test series didn’t go to plan for me but I just came in open-minded and I knew that if I backed my ability I could score some runs and it paid off.”
The Test and ODI series were Hankins’ first taste of international cricket and he said: “It was very special.
“I received my ODI cap from Andrew Strauss which was a big moment for me.”
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