A former teacher of cricketer Emilio Gay said he always knew he was a “talented player” as he made his Test debut for England against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Gay, 26, grew up in Bedford, went to Bedford School, played for Northamptonshire for five years – and now plays for Durham.
Gary Steer, the director of cricket at the school, said he was great to train as he “just loved playing the game and he took everything on board”.
The opener received his England Test cap, on Thursday morning, from another Bedford School alumnus, Sir Alastair Cook, before being dismissed for eight runs.
Steer said: “Everyone at the school are really pleased that he’s gone on and been selected for England.”
He said he joined the school in 2012 and “worked so hard on his game, turned up to all the sessions, extra sessions”.
“He was a really easy lad to work with because he just loved playing the game and he took everything on board.
“You could see straight away that he was a talented cricketer.”
He said following in the footsteps of Sir Alastair “we’re pretty confident that Emilio will go on and do well in his own right because he’s got all the credentials to do well at test level”.
Steer said he started working with Gay when the cricketer was 12 and he “improved pretty quickly”, adding: “He had a good solid batting technique but batting long periods of time is probably his biggest strength.”
He said he was unable to travel to Lord’s to see him as he was working – but confirmed he would watch the highlights later.
Mohammad Yasin MP, the Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, congratulated Gay on a “proud day” for the town.
“Every cricketer dreams of representing their country, and today Emilio achieved that dream,” he said.
“From Bedford Cricket Club to the home of cricket, Emilio’s journey is a testament to hard work, perseverance, and dedication.”
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