Two telephone calls in a matter of days this week put a warm smile on Felix Organ’s face.
The first came from the ECB telling him about autumn England Under-19 training camps at Loughborough in advance of the ICC Youth World Cup in New Zealand.
The second from Hampshire’s Head of Player Development, Charlie Freeston sent him racing hot foot from the Ageas Bowl to Uxbridge to make his County Championship debut against Middlesex !
It was all rather bizarre,” Organ chuckled.
“On Tuesday evening, I’d just completed a century for Hampshire seconds against Glamorgan on the Nursery Ground.
“When the team pitched up the next morning, the ground had been saturated by overnight rain, so we went off to play a round of golf.
“Next thing I know, Charlie’s on the phone telling me to pack my bags and head off to Uxbridge because James Vince had tweaked a hamstring in the warm-up and I was playing.
“Fortunately, I’d only just got myself registered a few days earlier.”
Organ wasted little time and, with would-be 12th man Billy Mead riding shotgun in the passenger’s seat, drove to a soggy Uxbridge to make a somehow hurried Hampshire debut.
“They were 20 overs into the game by the game we got to the ground, but I did manage to get on to the field and stop the ball a few times before rain stopped play.
“Thursday was frustrating with all the delays, but I did manage to get a knock and spent best part of an hour at the crease in very testing batting conditions, hitting a couple of fours in my 16.
“It was a real eye opener playing against the likes of Stephen Finn and one I’ll relish doing again.”
Organ, who has played in Hampshire’s junior age group sides since he was 13, would love to be involved again in Hampshire’s final two games against newly crowned county champions Essex and Warwickshire.
But involvement in the training camps at Loughborough suggests he’s very much in the frame for a place in England’s Under-19 World Cup squad.
“There’s a probable tour to South Africa in the New Year, so I’ll want to be on that and bed down a place for the World Cup in February,” he added.
Organ has already had a taste of Under-19 international cricket, making 61 for England in one of his three appearances against India last month.
The first came from the ECB telling him about autumn England Under-19 training camps at Loughborough in advance of the ICC Youth World Cup in New Zealand.
The second from Hampshire’s Head of Player Development, Charlie Freeston sent him racing hot foot from the Ageas Bowl to Uxbridge to make his County Championship debut against Middlesex !
It was all rather bizarre,” Organ chuckled.
“On Tuesday evening, I’d just completed a century for Hampshire seconds against Glamorgan on the Nursery Ground.
“When the team pitched up the next morning, the ground had been saturated by overnight rain, so we went off to play a round of golf.
“Next thing I know, Charlie’s on the phone telling me to pack my bags and head off to Uxbridge because James Vince had tweaked a hamstring in the warm-up and I was playing.
“Fortunately, I’d only just got myself registered a few days earlier.”
Organ wasted little time and, with would-be 12th man Billy Mead riding shotgun in the passenger’s seat, drove to a soggy Uxbridge to make a somehow hurried Hampshire debut.
“They were 20 overs into the game by the game we got to the ground, but I did manage to get on to the field and stop the ball a few times before rain stopped play.
“Thursday was frustrating with all the delays, but I did manage to get a knock and spent best part of an hour at the crease in very testing batting conditions, hitting a couple of fours in my 16.
“It was a real eye opener playing against the likes of Stephen Finn and one I’ll relish doing again.”
Organ, who has played in Hampshire’s junior age group sides since he was 13, would love to be involved again in Hampshire’s final two games against newly crowned county champions Essex and Warwickshire.
But involvement in the training camps at Loughborough suggests he’s very much in the frame for a place in England’s Under-19 World Cup squad.
“There’s a probable tour to South Africa in the New Year, so I’ll want to be on that and bed down a place for the World Cup in February,” he added.
Organ has already had a taste of Under-19 international cricket, making 61 for England in one of his three appearances against India last month.
