Charlie Allison: Essex batter eyeing under-19 World Cup as chance to develop further

Essex batter Charlie Allison says his call-up to the England Under-19 World Cup squad is a "great chance" to learn more about the game following his breakthrough season last summer.

Allison, 18, played in all eight of Essex's One-Day Cup group games in 2023, scoring 254 runs, including two half-centuries in his debut campaign.

The World Cup takes place in South Africa in January and February.

Allison told BBC Essex that is was "very exciting" to be taking part.

The teenager, who is the younger brother of Essex seamer Ben, has just returned from England Under-19 duty in India - a tour intended to give players experience of sub-continental conditions with the World Cup originally scheduled to take pace in Sri Lanka.

But a switch to South Africa has been made after the International Cricket Council sanctioned Sri Lanka Cricket because of "government interference", external in the running of their affairs.

Allison, who finished off the tour of India with an unbeaten 82 against Bangladesh in an under-19 ODI at the end of November, said it was a "great experience" being away with England.

"I really enjoyed it," he added to BBC Essex.

"I thought it might be harder away from home - I haven't really travelled that much to play cricket but it was a really good bunch of lads and it was quite easy to settle down and enjoy myself out here.

"India is a very tricky place to score runs - that's definitely one thing I learnt."

Allison is joined in the squad for South Africa by Essex team-mates Noah Thain and Luc Benkenstein, who will be vice-captain for the tournament.

Fifteen-year-old Nottinghamshire off-spinner Farhan Ahmed, younger brother of Leicestershire and England leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, is also in the party, along with some other familiar names including Durham batter Haydon Mustard, son of former England wicketkeeper Phil and ex-England batter Joe Denly's nephew Jaydn Denly of Kent.

Allison said having Thain and Benkenstein, son of Gloucestershire head coach Dale, with him was an added bonus.

"It's great because we all get on really well and it's nice to know Essex have got three of the youngsters in the under-19s and shows how promising we could be in the future as a team," he added.

"Originally I was a bit apprehensive over whether I was going to the World Cup because I didn't want to plan to go to something else but now I've got to go it's a great chance to get some experience in ahead of the new season.

"We went to India to get used to the subcontinental pitch but now it's in South Africa - and I've never been there - so it's interesting to see how that pans out."

England have been drawn in the same group as hosts South Africa, West Indies and Scotland, who they will play in their first game of the tournament on Saturday, 13 January.