Pontarddulais teenager Tom Edwards has been handed a rookie contract by Glamorgan, along with fellow 17-year-old Harry Wallace and Bridgend seamer Joseph Davies.
Edwards, a right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-hand batter, came through the ranks at Pontarddulais Cricket Club.
He will combine training and playing with studying for his A-levels, with the club’s support.
Tom Edwards: England Under-19s and joint academy player of the year
Edwards and Wallace both made their first-team debuts for Glamorgan in the One-Day Cup this summer.
Both have played for England Under-19s against Pakistan Under-19s, and they were named joint Men’s Academy Players of the Year at Glamorgan’s end-of-season awards.
Thrown in at the last minute at Radlett
Edwards’ senior debut came at short notice. He was named only in the travelling squad for the One-Day Cup game against Middlesex at Radlett on Sunday 26 July, but was brought into the side minutes before the start when bowler Jamie McIlroy was injured in the warm-up.
It was a tough day for Glamorgan, who were bowled out for 66 and lost by eight wickets.
Edwards was the bright spot. He took two wickets for seven runs from three overs, removing Nathan Fernandes and Sam Robson for his first senior wickets.
He has since been named in the England Under-19 squad for this winter’s tours of Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Joseph Davies: a hat-trick against Worcestershire
Davies, 21, is a left-arm seamer from Bridgend who came through the Welsh age-group pathway.
He has been a key player for Cardiff UCCE while finishing his studies, and a regular in Glamorgan’s second team. He took a hat-trick against Worcestershire late last season.
Dan Cherry: ‘Identify local talent’
Glamorgan chief executive Dan Cherry said the club had increased its investment in the player pathway, as it aims “to continue to be a top 8 club within county cricket”.
He credited coaches Richard Almond, Mark O’Leary, Adrian Shaw and Darren Thomas for the success of the club’s young players in recent seasons.
Cherry said the club was “committed to continuing to identify local talent”, developing those players and giving them opportunities.
He said he was “delighted to see Tom, Harry and Joseph take the next step”, and hoped they could follow Ben Kellaway, Tom Norton and Jack Hope-Bell into the first team as regulars.
He said the signings would help build “a winning squad with strong home-grown foundations that can make Wales proud”.
Glamorgan searching for a new head coach
The contracts come weeks after head coach Richard Dawson left for an England Test job, and Glamorgan are now looking for his successor.
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