COSTELLO pupil and Basingstoke and North Hants cricketer George Metzger has signed an Academy contract with Hampshire.

The 16-year-old wicketkeeper batsman has been in good form with both bat and gloves taking eight catches as well as scoring 32 and 34 in his two Hampshire Academy outings.

During the winter, Metzger was one of eight Academy players to go to South Africa to attend the Hilton College in Durban for 10 days of cricket.

Last Thursday, the teenager was called up to make his Hampshire seconds debut. This was against a Club Cricket Conference XI, which included Ben McDermott, who scored a 100 in the Aussie Big Bash for Hobart Hurricanes.

Hampshire had to get permission off the Costello School to play as Metzger starts his GCSE exams this week.

Metzger came to the crease with Hampshire in trouble at 70-7, but he played with such maturity as he top scored with 44 and help them to a total of 192.

He then donned the gloves to England's Reece Topley and Chris Wood and took two catches off Topley and a stumping to help Hampshire win by 20 runs.

This Saturday, Metzger will be playing against his Basingstoke clubmates at The Ageas Bowl in a Southern League Premier Division clash and then on Sunday he is in Worcestershire for an under-17 50 over game.