A LLANDUDNO cricketer has been rewarded for his excellent recent progress with a spot on a national initiative.

Casey Bedford has been called up to the Welsh U11 performance squad as part of their Regional Performance Pathway, and he will attend sessions at its northern hub at Rydal Penrhos School in Colwyn Bay over the winter to further hone his skills ahead of a busy series of fixtures next summer.

The talented youngster recently attended a training day with the group, which involved two hours of strength and conditioning at the University of Cardiff and a three-hour indoor session at Sophia Gardens.

The programme runs for 20 weeks throughout the winter from November until May, in addition to four Winter Development Festivals where each centre competes within their age group in Cardiff for a multitude of activities.

This will be followed by some additional sessions during the season for the first time, which have been implemented with a view to providing an important learning opportunity on a regular basis throughout the summer to compliment on-field performances.