Kearan Tongue-Gibbs, the boy spin bowler with no hands

A young boy, who was born with no hands, has his sights set on playing international cricket. Kearan Tongue-Gibbs, 11, is proving to be a talented spin bowler and batsman despite having no arms from the elbow down. His ambition is to join England's Disability XI in the next few years.



"I grip it in different ways then it spins," says Kearan, from Redditch. "Sometimes I put a fast one on then it straightens. It causes problems for the batsman, he can appeal for LBW, sometimes you can inside edge it and it goes into the slips."

"He just sort of wedges the ball in the right place," says Mike Harris, from Astwood Bank Cricket Club. "He pushes it into his flesh, he has a tiny thumb-like bit of flesh which gives him grip then he throws his arm over, and pulls the 'thumb' away to release it. He has no fingers to direct it. To aim is extremely difficult. I don't know how he does it.



"When he's batting it's just as remarkable, he can play a proper shot and compete with the other lads." Kearan, who admires England batsmen Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott, has been playing alongside able-bodied players in his school cricket team.

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