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Meet the 12-year-old cricket star beating the adults

Owen Forbes holding the match ball in front of the scoreboardImage source, Facebook/Allendale CC

Some of the greatest ever cricketers have started their careers with a bang, but not many were 12 when they did it.

Playing for the first time for a grown-up amateur men's cricket team, 12-year-old Owen took four wickets with four balls, helping his cricket club to a 59 run victory.

Owen, who says he tries to copy England's Stuart Broad, told ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Sport: "I was pretty nervous when I first stepped up to bowl, but I was really happy when I got the first wicket because I had bowled a few overs before then."

Three of Owen's wickets were bowled, with the other caught.

"When I got the hat-trick, and then the fourth wicket, it was a bit of disbelief - it was kind of crazy," Owen said.

Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

Owen says he tries to copy England cricket star Stuart Broad

Owen's day had started badly as he'd been bowled out by the first ball he faced while batting, but it was all smiles in the end. "He was grinning from ear to ear for the rest of the day," Owen's dad Gareth said.

"He was nervous going into bowl as he was out first ball with the bat, so it was great that he could get it back with the ball."

Today we witnessed one of the most amazing things we have ever seen in the club's history going back to 1946.

— Cricket Club spokesperson

In a statement on Facebook, a spokesperson from the Cricket Club said: "Today we witnessed one of the most amazing things we have ever seen in the club's history going back to 1946.

"Congratulations to Owen. We think this is the start of a glittering cricket career."

Maybe Owen will be taking his hero, Stuart Broad's place in the England cricket team in a few years time.