Dutch player hits record-breaking hundred

Daan van Bunge: a great prospect for the future of Holland cricket © Getty Images Enlarge

Daan van Bunge, who was the youngest member of the Holland side at the 2003 World Cup, entered the record books earlier this week when he hit the fastest century in the history of MCC's Young Cricketers.

van Bunge, 21, smashed a 38-ball hundred, including 14 fours and nine sixes, against the Surrey Under-19 team at Weybridge on Monday. His innings of 121 eclipsed Surrey's total of 119, and helped his side to a 258-run victory. His record-breaking knock was made all the more impressive considering the other players who have passed through the young cricketers programme, including Ian Botham, Martin Crowe and Mark Waugh.

"It's a tremendous achievement for Daan to have scored a faster century than any previous MCC Young Cricketer," said John Stephenson, MCC's new Head of Cricket. "He is a player of enormous promise and, ever since he joined MCC, he has been a great credit to the club - on and off the pitch."

van Bunge, who is in his second year on the MCC staff, has been part of the Dutch international side since 2002, and had an impressive World Cup last year. He scored 62, his highest score in an international, against India in a losing cause, and then took 3 for 16 against England, taking the wickets of Nick Knight, Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff.

Darren Sammy, who is part of West Indies' squad for this summer's NatWest Series, is also a current MCC Young Cricketer, while England's Rikki Clarke and Hamish Marshall of New Zealand are recent graduates of the scheme.