London, Jul 7 (IANS): England Under-19 international Josh Boyden has signed his first rookie contract with Lancashire, the County club said in a statement on Thursday.

Boyden was one of the stars of England U19s run to the World Cup final in the Caribbean earlier this year, finishing with 15 wickets, the most by an English player at the tournament.

The 18-year-old Boyden impressed with his ability to swing the white ball early on and would also regularly return at the end of an innings to showcase an impressive range of death bowling variations.

Born in Chorley, Boyden has played for Wigan Cricket Club in the Liverpool Premier League since 2021 after coming through the age groups at his local Euxton Cricket Club.

Boyden has made the step up in the last two seasons, featuring for Lancashire's 2nd XI, and was named in the first-team squad for the first time last month - a T20 Blast match against Northants Steelbacks.

Speaking after signing his rookie contract with the Club, Josh Boyden said, "I am delighted to have been given this opportunity by Lancashire Cricket and cannot wait to get started on a full-time basis."

"This rookie contract is the culmination of years of hardwork but also the start of another journey for me, into making it as a professional cricketer with Lancashire. It was fantastic to be in and around the First Team squad earlier this summer and it has made me even more determined and hungry to keep working hard and eventually make my debut for the Red Rose," he said.

Director of cricket performance Mark Chilton said, "I would like to congratulate Josh, his family and everybody who has been with him on his journey in cricket so far. This rookie contract is a reward for all his efforts over many years, he has shown an excellent attitude to his development throughout his pathway journey, and hopefully this is the start of a long career with Lancashire."