Mystery teen Mujeeb Ur Rahman tipped to star at Hampshire

Afghanistan's teenage mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has been predicted to make a huge impact in his first stint in county cricket with Hampshire in the Vitality Blast.

Andy Moles, the former Warwickshire opening batsman, has worked closely with Mujeeb since he was appointed Afghanistan's A team and Under-19s coach last September.

In that time Mujeeb, a shy 17-year-old from Khost in the east of Afghanistan, has made rapid progress from Afghanistan's Under-19 team to become the first male international cricketer to be born in the 21st century and the youngest-ever player in the IPL.

Along with legspinner Rashid Khan, at Sussex, and allrounder Mohammad Nabi, who has signed for Leicestershire, Mujeeb will be among the first Afghanistan internationals to play county cricket and Moles believes that Hampshire have recruited a match-winning spinner.

"He's had a remarkable 12 months. Last year he was just a member of our Under-19 team but he was outstanding at the Asia Cup, then in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand. He went from the World Cup to Sharjah, where he made his international debut at 16, and then he went and played in the IPL where he showed good temperament with Kings XI Punjab," Moles said.

"He comes from a poor background so it's a life-changing experience for him. He's a shy but very likeable kid. He's still only 17 so he needs to manage his success and maintain his work ethic to keep improving but the signs are that he is doing that.

"I think he will make a big impact with Hampshire. He's a match winner because he is so different to other bowlers. He bowls everything, offspin, legbreaks, sliders - but he flicks them out of the front of his hand so it makes it very difficult for batsmen to read him."

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Former Middlesex fast bowler Wes Stewart remains one of the Windrush generation of immigrants anxiously waiting to discover whether they will finally be granted a British passport.

Stewart was ten when he arrived in London in 1955 and has lived here ever since, paying taxes for more than 50 years.

When he returned to Jamaica to visit his ill mother in 1968 Stewart was granted an emergency British passport which expired while he was there. He got a Jamaican passport - which gave his country of residence as England - to enable him to return.

Stewart applied for a British passport seven years ago so that he could visit family and friends in Jamaica but was told he was an overstayer.

His case has been taken by Kate Osamor, the Labour MP for Edmonton, but despite her help and calls to a hotline set up by the government in April, Stewart has heard nothing from the Home Office.

"I'm still in limbo I haven't heard anything from them. I phoned the hotline number but I still haven't heard anything back," Stewart said.

"I've been paying taxes here since I left school. They have got my National Insurance number. I've been using that since 1961 so there should be no problem in them checking that."

Stewart joined the MCC Young Professionals straight from school, played a match for Gloucestershire at the start of the 1966 season but was then signed by Middlesex and played 52 first-class and six List A matches for them between 1966 and 1968.

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Callum Ferguson's 192 for Worcestershire in their Royal London Cup victory over Leicestershire at New Road was the highest by a county debutant in List A cricket.

The Australian surpassed the previous record held by Travis Head, coincidentally the man Ferguson has replaced as Worcestershire's overseas player, who made 175 for Yorkshire also against Leicestershire two years ago.

Worcestershire supporters who wondered what Ferguson might do for an encore did not have to wait long for an answer. He made 159 not out against Northamptonshire in his next appearance at New Road to keep them in contention for a second consecutive appearance in the knockout stages.

Worcestershire face Warwickshire at Edgbaston on Thursday in a shoot-out for a semi-final place.

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The end of the Royal London Cup cannot come soon enough for Glamorgan, who will finish bottom of the South Group, but not their batsman Kiran Carlson.

Carlson has just completed his first year studying civil engineering at Cardiff University and exams have taken priority over cricket in recent weeks. Having spent two weeks cooped up in the university library, Carlson enjoyed himself on his return to cricket with a 40-ball half century which set up victory over Sussex at Sophia Gardens.

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Spectators enjoyed the delights of outground cricket in the Royal London Cup, with sizeable crowds reported at Merchant Taylors' School, Beckenham, Oakham School, Swansea and Eastbourne - where 4000 were crammed in for Sussex's defeat by Essex on Sunday - during a busy half-term week blessed by decent weather.

Leicestershire were also encouraged by a crowd of 1500 at Oakham - the alma mater of Stuart Broad - for their return to Rutland after a ten-year absence for the match against Lancashire. "We hope this will be the start of re-establishing the annual relationship again with Oakham," Leicestershire chief executive Wasim Khan said.

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If there was to be an award for Stalwart County Cricket Supporter, Derbyshire's David Griffin would be a strong contender.

Griffin - well known on the county circuit for wearing shorts whatever the weather - has supported Derbyshire for 45 years during which time he has served the county as honorary secretary and club photographer. He has now been appointed project manager for the Proud To Be Derbyshire Heritage Project which aims to create an extensive permanent archive to safeguard and promote the history of cricket across the county.

As part of the project, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Griffin and other volunteers have been conducting a series of filmed interviews with past and present Derbyshire players, including Kim Barnett, Geoff Miller, Bob Taylor, Wayne Madsen and current captain Billy Godleman, whose recollections will be preserved for posterity.