CHARLIE Neill-Hall, a member of Mount Hawke Cricket Club and a pupil at Polwhele House School, Truro, is looking forward to following in the footsteps of Michael Vaughan by leading a touring team to success in South Africa.

With the England Test team's triumph still fresh in the memory, Charlie, 12, has been appointed captain of the Cornwall Schools Under 13 squad for their forthcoming fortnight's tour of South Africa.

Describing it as "a once in a lifetime trip," he will lead his players in eight matches, including a "day-night" fixture with floodlights. They will also enjoy sightseeing trips and social events hosted by their opponents. The trips will include Table Mountain The tourists, who will fly to Johannesburg and back from Cape Town in a Virgin Atlantic jumbo, will play matches against St Stithians, Saints, Soweto Lions, St Peters, Somerset College, Langa, Rondebosch and Bishops School.

Supported by his school, Charlie has been raising money to help pay for the tour since last March.

"I count myself as one of the luckiest kids alive," he said. "There can't be many people of my age who get such a huge opportunity as this. The squad has great strengths of friendship and self-belief and I believe it is these qualities, as much as skill, that get us the results we want."

At the end of the current school year, Charlie will leave Polwhele House for Clayesmore School in Dorset. He is currently one of a number of Polwhele House boys attending county cricket coaching sessions all over the county.

Charlie's appointment as county captain reflects the flourishing cricket picture at the school, with an increasing number of its pupils playing the game at club level as well as on the schools circuit.