AN England star’s brother has obliterated bowling records aged just 16 – with a TEN-WICKET County Championship debut.
Notts’ off-spinner Farhan Ahmed became the youngest man to take five wickets, with 7-140, and then ten too, with 3-77 in Surrey’s second innings.
Farhan Ahmed spun his way into the County Championship record booksRex
Farhan bagged seven wickets in Surrey’s first knock, then three moreRex
And those two feats are far from the only records pouched by Farhan on a stunning start to his cricket career.
Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise as leg-spinning sibling Rehan became England‘s youngest Test debutant in December 2022, facing Pakistan aged 18 years and 126 days.
Now Farhan has followed in Rehan’s footsteps – or his run-up – by setting a new low, age-wise, for Notts in the County Championship.
He walked out at home to Surrey at Trent Bridge on Thursday at the age of 16 years and 189 days.
The visitors won the toss and, although they amassed 525, five of their top six batsmen were caught out off Farhan.
His ultimate tally of seven wickets came off 50.4 overs, including six maidens – a monster introduction to the County game.
Farhan then took three more wickets as he bowled right through in Surrey’s second knock – delivering 26 overs in all.
That of course made him the most youthful player to reach 10 as well as five wickets at County Championship level.
The off-spinner took 10 wickets in 76.4 overs over the two inningsRex
He must have a real sniff of making history at Test level too.
He’s already England’s youngest player in the Under-19s World Cup – taking five wickets in four games in South Africa earlier this year.
He then bagged three wickets for England Lions in a first-class contest against Sri Lanka in August.
Notts certainly identified his talent early.
Farhan made his second-team debut in May 2022 – just three months after his 14th birthday.
He signed a three-and-a-half-year professional contract in June this year.
And a month later Farhan made his List A debut – against Leicestershire in the One-Day Cup.
That came aged 16 years 153 days – second youngest in Notts’ all-time list behind Paul Johnson, who did it 32 days younger in 1981.
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