FOURTEEN-year-old Barney Morgan brought up his maiden first-team century for Burghill and Tillington with a six over mid-wicket – and it won’t be the last for the promising schoolboy.

The Hereford Cathedral School pupil tamed the visiting attack in Burghill’s debut in the top flight of the Worcestershire County League.

Burghill captain Mark Preece admits he will need to pick and choose his games for the youngster but knows that he can help fill the boots of their missing talisman Alex Hedges.

“Barney was someone I had looked at,” said Preece.

“It’s a breakthrough season for Barney – I brought him in from the seconds. I might have to pick my games for him. “He’s only 14 and there’s a good standard of bowling in this league. But he’s got a lot of ability.”

Burghill were struggling at 63-4 from 13 overs when right-handed Barney came to the crease to team up with Tim Walsh.

They added a match-saving 130 runs for the fifth wicket in 25 overs.

After Walsh was caught for a well-struck 69, Barney, who is not 15 until August, was joined by skipper Preece (30 not out).

He played some lovely shots on both sides of the wicket, including a lofted straight six to lift Burghill to 278-5 from their 50 overs.

“It was very pleasurable to reach 100,” said Barney, who struck 14 fours and two sixes, much to the delight of his watching family, including grandparents, Graham and Judith Seaborn.

“I was just planning on staying there and building an innings,” added Barney, who plays for Herefordshire Under-15s and lives less than a mile from the ground.

Preece said: “Tim and Barney, in the middle order, pulled the game back for us. We were in a lot of trouble at the point they joined up. “At the end of the innings, it’s usually me pinching most of the strike so it was nice to let a 14-year-old smash the ball around the park.”

Burghill’s senior coach Ian Foster had a good view from the boundary at Brick House Farm. He said: “Barney has always shown a lot of promise but he’s matured incredibly and grown and that’s helped him. “His temperament is a lot better too. “He played shots on both sides of the wicket.”