Future Black Cap? Tom Martin, 14, Taupō's youngest-ever Premier player

From left: Lake Taupō Cricket Club Premier team captain Habib Malik, Tom Martin and Michael Mitchell.

Tom Martin is just like any typical Taupō teenager. He gets up early to get to Taupō-nui-a-Tia College and is preparing for his upcoming 10th year of school.

But last Saturday, at the age of 14 years and 28 days, Tom became the youngest player ever to represent Lake Taupō Cricket Club at the Premier level.

Tom's talent has continued to grow over the years, with Michael Mitchell working with him to develop his game and commending him for his approach to cricket,

"He has always had a fantastic training attitude and work ethic. Putting that with some natural ability and a disciplined attitude he has a very promising future in the game."

Michael has had his own success for Lake Taupō Cricket Club, scoring big totals and becoming one of the club's strongest players. He has coached Tom for two years and is thrilled to be seeing Tom's hard work rewarded with a selection that saw them take the same field together.

Tom's early success with the bat through Lake Taupō Cricket Club's recently-established Academy side was what gave him the nod to earn his Premier cap and make history for his club. His current season tally stands at 211 runs at a healthy average of 26.36 across all formats in the Rotorua men's grade.

Academy captain Jerome Dyer had nothing but praise for Tom and made note that his talent stretches to all facets of the game, including wicketkeeping and bowling.

In his premier debut, he knocked up a healthy 22 runs and proved he earned his spot in Lake Taupō Cricket Club's win over Geyser City Cricket Club. This was a true sign he is on the right path and could soon find himself a regular face at the Premier level.

With more opportunities on the horizon, Tom will be given his fair share of challenges. But there's no doubt he'll tackle those head-on and continue to grow into a bright young cricketer.