THE future looks bright for Kidderminster Victoria CC after a second team crammed with gifted young players won the Birmingham and District League 2nd XI First Division title this summer.

The Chester Road side ensured an immediate return to the Premier Division after dominating their league.

KVCC’s second string won 13 games and only lost three times to ensure they topped the table with two games of the season left.

Half of the side contains players aged 16-years-old or under, with the likes of Jamie Brighton, Alex Hills and Jason Wharton amongst a host of young players who impressed.

The side’s senior players also impressed with Paul Mitchell hitting 544 runs and Andy Logan taking 42 wickets, despite missing four of the last five games because of injury.

Captain Matt Fludgate said: “Apart from a handful of senior players, the team is packed with a lot of younger guys.

“We’ve had four or five players either aged 16 or under, so it was a great achievement by the team.

“We got off to a good start but had a bit of a wobble in July.

“But the team showed great character for one being full of so many young players, and won six games in a row to clinch the title and promotion.”

The seconds have already had some success producing players for the first team, with Andy Kimberlin and Chris Pyke earning call-ups to the senior side this campaign.

Fludgate believes part of the team’s job is to help young guns get their first taste of action at Birmingham League level and help them progress to the first team.

He said: “We’ve got young players like Jamie Brighton, Alex Hills and Jason Wharton, who have made great contributions to the side.

“We like to bring young guys through and if they are successful they have every chance of making it to the first first.

“Andy Kimberlin played the first five games for us but then moved up to the firsts. Chris Pyke was also doing very well for us but played the last five games for the first team.

“It shows that if they do well then their hard work will be recognised.

“If a few of the lads do get called up, we’ll bring several players up from the third team. We have a conveyor belt, with the thirds and second team players putting pressure on the firsts.”

The seconds ended the season with a five wicket win over Old Elizabethans on Saturday. KVCC restricted their opponents to 186-7 and hit 187-5 in reply.