THREE top teenagers have been shortlisted for the HPH York Vale Cricket League’s Young Player of the Year.

The trio are Will Cardy (Yapham), Tom Jaros (Askham Bryan) and Ben Lister (Hemingbrough).

All of them will be at the league annual awards presentation evening at the Royal York Hotel on Saturday, October 12, when the winner will be unveiled.

Cardy started the season exclusively as a batsman but his season in division four took off when he took his first wicket in senior cricket against Heworth II.

After that he never looked back and finished the season with 24 wickets at an average of 15.10, including a season’s best 5-13 against Burn II in August.

Jaros has been nominated for the second year running – this time making the shortlist. Also 14, he started the season in Askham Bryan’s second team before moving up the the first team who were struggling in division one. Despite facing some of the league’s most powerful hitters he took 14 first team wickets at an average of 24.14.

All-rounder Lister began the season as a 16-year-old with Hemingbrough II but finished it with the 1st XI in the top flight. All told, he amassed 427 runs, scored his maiden century – 103 against Stamford Bridge – at an average of 32.80. He also chipped in with 15 wickets at an average of 15.33.

The presentation will be made by a representative of Headingley-based cricket suppliers All Rounder, who are sponsoring the award for the first time.

Many players shortlisted in the past have gone on to make a name for themselves in local Vale cricket.

Last year’s runner-up, Stockton & Hopgrove batsman Matt Durkin, topped the division one averages this summer and compiled more runs than anyone else in the league.