Welsh talent shines in Glamorgan's bright start

Kiran Carlson, Ben Kellaway and Tom Norton have all come through the Glamorgan pathway [Huw Evans Picture Agency] Glamorgan director of cricket Mark Wallace has praised the contribution of Welsh-born players to the county's encouraging start to the season - and believes more local talent is on the way. Having returned to Division One after 21 years away, the Kiran Carlson-led side are third after the first block of Championship games thanks to two wins and three draws from six matches. Cardiff-born Carlson's innings this season include a career-best 209 against Hampshire.

Newport's Ben Kellaway, 22, hit 139 in this week's draw against Warwickshire, and Abergavenny teenager Tom Norton made a stunning first-class debut with a hat-trick against Somerset. "I think it's a case of the last few years, we probably haven't had enough of those young Welsh talented players playing for Glamorgan," said Wallace. "We want players to come through our pathway and play cricket for Glamorgan, so to have Ben doing so well, Kiran as captain doing well, and young players like Tom coming in and doing really well straight away is great to see.

" Kellaway's 'priority' is Glamorgan after Lions snub The rise of Glamorgan's record-breaking teenager Norton Speaking before the start of the season, Glamorgan chief executive Dan Cherry accepted that criticism in recent years of the county's ability to produce local talent was fair. "We haven't developed Welsh players over the last 10, 15, 20 years, but we are working really hard to do so," Cherry told the BBC following the county's promotion from Division Two. It is 21 years since Glamorgan provided a Welsh player for an England Test team, when bowler Simon Jones played a pivotal role in the iconic 2005 Ashes victory over Australia.

Kellaway hit an England Lions half-century on tour in Australia over the winter but, unlike Glamorgan's Jersey-born batter Asa Tribe, he was not included in the development squad for two four-day matches against South Africa A later this month. Norton's spectacular introduction to red-ball cricket has already ignited talk of a possible Test future, and Wallace hopes there will be more Welsh contenders for Glamorgan and England soon. "That's the plan," the former wicket-keeper told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.