Ethan Peel before standing in his first game © AP

Ethan Peel, a 15-year old schoolboy from Oxfordshire, has entered the record books by becoming Britain’s youngest qualified umpire. Peel was studying for an intermediate certificate in umpiring at Oxford Brooks University, part of an initiative by the International Institute of Cricket Umpiring and Scoring (IICUS) to recruit youngsters. He had already completed modules on the laws of the game and field management, man management and duty of care. On Saturday, he completed the final phase of qualification when he independently umpired a friendly match between Tiddington and the London-based Nomads, in Oxfordshire.

"It's a good job that I've got parents who get me to games and a supportive coach who has really helped,” Peel said later. “I hope that what I've achieved will lead on to other young lads getting involved in umpiring. It would be nice to progress on to umpiring professional cricket but I'm taking it all one step at a time."