A TRIO of talented York youngsters are turning their attention to cricketing success after completing impressive seasons in winter sports.

Nine-year-old Charlie Elliott has been selected along with Jack Leaning and Andrew Simpson, both aged 11, to represent Yorkshire this summer.

All three will play for the county's under-11 team against Northumberland, Lancashire, Durham and Nottingham with the first match taking place at Heworth Cricket Club tomorrow (1pm).

And, for all three schoolboys, it will be a case of carrying on an enjoyable sporting year.

Hempland Primary School pupil Jack, the son of former York City goalkeeper Andy Leaning, has recently returned from a football tour of Italy with Sheffield United U11s, helping the young Blades hold junior teams from the mighty Juventus and AC Milan to draws and beating Ancona 7-1.

Dad Andy joked: "He's a centre-back not a goalkeeper because he's got more sense than me. He's strong and quite a tall lad for his age and I think playing both sports over the year provides a good balance for him."

Andy, who made 86 appearances for the Minstermen between 1985 and 1987 and was between the sticks during the famous FA Cup fifth round replay against Liverpool, also played cricket for Acomb and now coaches Heworth, where both Jack and Andrew are junior members.

Wicket-keeper Andrew, whose ten-year-old cousin Ben was recently featured in the Evening Press for an 8-1 wicket haul, will also swap his football boots for cricket pads this summer, having completed an enjoyable season as a central midfielder with the Leeds United academy.

A left-handed batsman, Andrew also captains Acomb Primary School and his father David is Heworth first-team skipper.

Charlie, meanwhile, will play for Yorkshire just eight days after treading the hallowed turf of Twickenham for York under-9s' rugby union team.

A free-scoring winger, Charlie helped his team top their qualifying pool at the two-day Gulliver's Nottingham Festival in March. That earned him the chance to play in the curtain-raiser to the England v Barbarians match.

Charlie captains York CC and St Olaves Primary School under-9s at cricket and also plays for York's U11 and U13 teams.

His development at St Olaves is currently being overseen by Alec Backhouse, widely-regarded as York's finest-ever player.

His father Nick also played for York against the likes of Darren Gough and Chris Silverwood and smashed the fastest 50 in the Yorkshire League one season but he said: "I never played for Yorkshire and Charlie has got far more shots than I ever had."

Updated: 10:25 Saturday, June 04, 2005