The third in the series of weekly features looking back on some of the highpoints and personal milestones achieved during the 2016 season by Glamorgan players focusses on the achievements of teenager Kiran Carlson who made a dramatic and record-breaking entry into Championship cricket during August and September.
After being a late call-up to the side for the away match against Northamptonshire, Kiran marked his first appearance with figures of 5/28, the second best on debut for the county and only surpassed by Ezra Moseley’s figures of 6/102 against Essex at Swansea in 1980. Kiran took a wicket in his opening over and went on to complete the best-ever figures for Glamorgan by a spinner on debut.
At 18 years and 107 days, Kiran was also the second youngest bowler to claim at least five wickets on first-class debut, with only Darren Thomas at 17 years and 206 days having been younger when he claimed 5/80 against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1992.
A fortnight later at Chelmsford, Kiran became at 18 years and 119 days old, Glamorgan’s youngest ever centurion in first-class cricket as he scored a fine 119 to beat Mike Llewellyn’s Club record, set in 1972 at Swansea against Cambridge University when he scored a century aged 18 years and 213 days.
His efforts with the bat against Essex meant that Kiran became the youngest-ever cricketer to have claimed both a Championship century and five-for, with the Cardiff-born youngster emulating the feats of two other eighteen year-olds - Surrey’s Jack Crawford who took 7/43 against Gloucestershire in 1904 and made 119* against Derbyshire in August 1905 as well as Worcestershire’s Frank Chester who in 1913 took 6/95 against Kent followed by 115 later in the summer against Somerset.
Further details about Kiran’s debut season will appear in the 2017 Glamorgan Yearbook, which is due to be published in March. To place an order at the special advanced price of £16 (plus £1.99 postage), please send an email to museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk or write to Yearbook Orders, c/o Archives Department, Glamorgan CCC, The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff, CF11 9XR. Please note that from December 1st, the Yearbook will be available at £17 (plus £1.99 postage).