After a series of impressive performances for the second XI during the opening weeks of the 2022 season, leg-spinner Alex Russell was handed a short-term contract and accelerated into the first-team picture.

He went onto make his first senior appearance in the Vitality Blast in June, named in the XI for the fixture against Lancashire at Old Trafford. Facing the daunting prospect of contending with Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Tim David, the then-20-year-old held his own. The wicket of Livingstone constitutes an impressive first scalp.

Russell, who had previously played National Counties cricket for Herefordshire before arriving in NN1, would go onto feature in all eight of the Steelbacks’ One Day Cup fixtures. Though wickets were hard to come by, the youngster bowled several economical spells and posed a regular threat in his first extended run in the first-team