A TEENAGER narrowly missed hitting a century for Glamorgan Academy as the cricket season got underway.

Harry Friend, who lives in Ross-on-Wye, hit an impressive 95, including five fours and two sixes, for Glamorgan against Newport Cricket Club on Saturday.

A Sixth Form student at Monmouth School for Boys, Friend has just joined Newport from Monmouth Cricket Club and his 126-ball knock helped Glamorgan to 222-6 from 45 overs against his new club.

Friend cut his cricketing teeth at Ross Cricket Club and has represented Herefordshire, Wales and Gwent at youth level.

The teenager was included in several Glamorgan 2nd XI squads in 2019 and made his senior debut for Wales in the Minor Counties Championship.

One of Friend's proudest moments was scoring a century for Glamorgan Academy on tour in South Africa in February this year.

Fellow Monmouth School for Boys’ student, Sam Swingwood, who bowls leg-spin and has been a successful part of the Gloucestershire Emerging Players’ Programme, made his Glamorgan debut in the match at Newport.

Swingwood bowled one over as Newport, whose side included Glamorgan’s Director of Cricket, Mark Wallace, reached 110-2 off 21 overs to claim victory in a rain-affected match.

Last summer, Swingwood helped some of the countries, including England, prepare for their 2019 Cricket World Cup matches at the County Ground in Bristol.

Swingwood, who plays his club cricket for Monmouth, clean-bowled Australian ace Steve Smith twice in the nets.

He also enjoyed a successful tour to India with the Gloucestershire Emerging Players' Programme squad this pre-season, taking 13 wickets and winning the Bowler of the Tour award.