ADIL Rashid produced arguably his best performance of the Cricket World Cup in Thursday's semi-final against Australia, and the Bradford leg-spinner is out to bowl England to the trophy today.
Rashid, who grew up in Heaton, took 3-54 against the Aussies, dismissing the dangerous Alex Carey and Marcus Stoinis in the same over.
He had been struggling a little with a shoulder issue, but speaking to the Telegraph & Argus on Tuesday, his brother Amar confirmed that Adil's condition was improving.
That showed in the semi-final, and if Rashid can produce another bowling performance like that against New Zealand today, he could help England to win their first ever Cricket World Cup.
He has come a long way from the fresh-faced youngster who attended Belle Vue Boys School, now Beckfoot Upper Heaton, in the early 2000s.
Our archives have a picture of him as a 14-year-old holding a cricket bat, alongside Amar, as the school celebrated getting a new sports hall, and another of him with a cricket ball at 18.
We also reported on his cricketing talent from an early age, interviewing him at 13 after he took 10-55 in a second XI senior game for Bradford and Bingley against Gomersal in the Bradford League.
Back then, he told us: "I didn't begin to think that I might take all ten wickets until I had taken eight.
"I was thrilled when I took my tenth wicket. It is my first season with the club and I am just happy I helped the team to win.
"They have given me the match ball and we hope to make it into a trophy to remember the ten wickets."
Let's hope he still has those mementos, and hopefully, he can add a World Cup winners medal today to sit proudly alongside them.
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