Teenage batsman shatters 118-year record (From This Is Local London)

Teenage batsman shatters 118-year record

8:50am Friday 10th July 2009 in

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SIXTH-FORMER Tom Francis scored 222 not out to record the highest ever individual score in Marlow Park’s 118-year history.

The 17-year-old Royal Grammar School student went run-crazy in Sunday’s 40-overs match against Nomads.

He smacked 25 fours, eight sixes and a five as he rewrote the club’s record books.

He said: “I just had one of those days. I had never even hit a hundred before this.

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet what I have done. I was just having fun out there and the runs just kept coming.

“I don’t think I will ever forget this. It is a real honour to break the club’s record.”

The all-rounder was unstoppable after surviving a scare at the start of his amazing knock.

He was dropped at cover when he was on 25 and, having survived that let-off, he racked up his record score as Park made 358-3 to win by 26 runs.

But amazingly the teenager from Gerrards Cross almost never played in the match.

He was a reluctant starter because he wanted to keep himself fresh for the Royal Grammar Schools festival which has been going on around the county this week.

He said: “It is a five games in five days programme so I wasn’t sure that I should play as I had also played on the Saturday as well.

“Then when I got to 50 I tried to retire to keep myself fresh for the school matches, but I was talked out of it.”

And the all-rounder was glad his team-mates kept him out there.

His maiden century wasn’t long in the making and as he continued to see the ball like a football, zooming past the 200 mark almost without realising.

He said: “I thought I was about ten or 15 runs away. Then when I got the double hundred the scorer shouted what the club record was and I went after that as well.

“It was an amazing feeling. I hadn’t planned to bat for very long but the runs kept on coming. I was slogging a bit and I just had this mentality to hit it as far as I could.”

Francis’ dazzling display eclipsed the achievements of fellow teenager Jordan Turner.

The 16-year-old hit 14 fours and a six before he departed on 87 having nicked one that stuck in the wicket keeper’s gloves.

The pair punished the bowling in a third wicket stand of 246 as the Nomads must have been regretting their decision to insert Marlow.

Francis’ day was not done though and, when Park took their turn in the field, he was on the square leg boundary to catch Nomads’ Imran Alikhan for 109 as the Nomads made a valiant attempt at playing catch-up.