Top of the class
In years to come it'll be a question in the sports round of pub quizzes across the
country: Which cricketer got a five-for and a pair on his first class county debut?
Reece Topley, Essex's newest county cap, bears that distinctive honour.
The 17-year-old made quite a mark on his Championship bow, taking a wicket in his first over, bagging 5 for 46 in Kent's second innings and completing the dubious accolade of being out for nought in both innings.
While he'll be disappointed that Essex lost, young Toppers can be very pleased with his contribution to this match.A product of the Essex Academy, the teenager has only just broken up from school for the Easter holidays - it shows how highly rated he is by the Essex management that he was thrown in the deep end against Kent, ahead of an experienced pro like Chris Wright.
Topley has pedigree of course. He's the son of former Essex paceman and Zimbabwe coach Don Topley, himself a Kent native whose brother Peter played for the Garden of England side.
A 6ft 7in left-armer who swings the ball into the right-handed batsman, you can imagine young Topley being a handful... indeed, experienced Kent batters like Rob Key, Joe Denly and Geraint Jones certaintly did.
After a topsy-turvy game in which Essex had chances to take control, Topley must be a shoo-in for the next Championship game against Middlesex at Lord's starting Thursday where he's likely to line-up alongside new South African signing Lonwabo Tsotsobe, another left-armed pace bowler.
What games he plays after the Middlesex match very much depends on what he can fit around school, but one thing's for sure - he's got top marks for Essex so far.
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