SOMERSET’S young bowler Liam Redrup has been selected by the MCC for their 12-day tour to Nepal and will fly out to Kathmandu on Friday next week, writes Richard Walsh.

The 19 year-old, who was born in Taunton and grew up locally, played cricket through the Somerset age groups and graduated from the academy at the end of the summer.

Liam plays his club cricket for Taunton Deane and made his Second XI debut back in 2013.

He is now on a Somerset Scholarship and will train with the full-time professionals throughout the winter and be available for the county in 2016.

When he heard the news the fast bowler who attended King’s College said: “It was great to get the call up and it just came out of the blue.

“I will be off to Nepal pretty soon so I just can’t wait.

“I don’t really have too much time to think about it because in a few days time I will be up and going.

The MCC touring party will be captained by the former Essex, Kent and Middlesex player Neil Dexter, who has joined Leicestershire for 2016, and during their time in Nepal they will play six matches, four 50 over games, and one two day and one T20.

Liam continued: “It will be an incredible experience to play alongside the rest of the squad, most of who will be much older and more experienced than I am so I hope I can learn a lot from them.

“It will also be good to go and play cricket in a different environment.

“I have had a pretty good season myself in 2015 and taken a few wickets for Somerset Seconds and now I have got my scholarship deal at the end of it which is what I was hoping for.

“Now I am looking forward to the winter, working hard and progressing and hope I can do even better next year.”

“This winter I will be based at the County Ground where I will be working on my fitness with Darren Veness (strength and conditioning coach) in the gym and I will also be working with Jason Kerr and Ben Phillips on my bowling as well as trying to improve my batting so I get more opportunities and try to get runs.”

Talking about some of the highlights of the 2015 season Liam said: “I guess one of them has to be the game for King’s against the PCA who had a lot of big names playing for them and I top scored in that game!

“With the seconds I think it would be getting the wicket of Yorkshire’s Will Rhodes in the three-day game we played against them towards the end of the season. He got a lot of runs in the first innings so to get him to edge behind in the second meant such a lot to me.

“I also got a few other good scalps that will live with me forever.”

Liam added: “I have just ordered my kit to take with me and we meet at Lord’s on November 12th at midday and then get the bus to Heathrow for an 8pm flight to Kathmandu.

“Then it will be straight into the cricket when we get there, so I can’t wait for all that to happen.”

Somerset Bowling Coach Jason Kerr said: “Liam is an exciting young bowler - he is now on a scholarship with us and he has earned this through his performances for us with the Second XI where he did a good job though the season.

“I look forward to working with him throughout the winter.”

He added: “This is a fantastic opportunity now that has come up with the MCC to go to Nepal which will be a fantastic experience not just from a cricketing point of view but from a life point of view.”