A WELLINGTON School pupil has been recognised with a prestigious sporting award.

Year 11 student Ali Layard travelled to Lord’s to receive his full England cap from Ashley Giles, in his first official engagement as managing director of the ECB.

Layard became the youngest capped international cricketer when he played for England in the Physical Disability (PD) Vitality T20 Tri Series against Pakistan and Bangladesh last summer.

Layard trains regularly with the England PD squad and is hoping to be selected for the World Cup being held in the UK this summer.

He is also in the (able-bodied) Somerset County Under-17 winter squad and training hard with them too.

Layard sustained life-changing injuries when his legs were caught in the propeller of a narrowboat; he required hospitalisation for four months and several complicated operations.

Despite being told he would not walk unaided again, his personal resilience and hard work has led to him becoming an outstanding athlete and well-rounded young man.

His mum Sophie Layard said: “There is no doubt in our minds that he is smashing these tough training sessions because of the rigorous and yet holistic strength and conditioning programmes Wellington School have in place for him. 

"Ali is a cricket scholar, but we owe a great deal of his success to Steffan Jones and his dedicated team.”