George Dockrell is a spindly left-arm spinner of immense potential. At 17 he played a key role in Ireland's World Twenty20 campaign, blending nous with audacity as his flighted twirlers saw off Netherlands in the qualifying tournament before taking 3 for 16 against West Indies and choking England's middle-order with four overs for 19 in the main event. Soon after the tournament ended he was ruled out of Ireland's next big game - an ODI against Australia - because he had to sit his school exams. He needn't have bothered as a month later, and still a week short of his 18th birthday, he was snapped up by Somerset who offered him a two-year contract.

Dockrell learned his game at Leinster Cricket Club in Dublin and, unsurprisingly for a man who made his full international debut at 17, he has played age-group cricket for Ireland since Under-13s. Named Ireland's 'most valuable player' at the Clico Under-15 Championships in the West Indies in 2008, he took 6 for 19 in the Under-19 World Cup Qualifier against Hong Kong a year later and marked his senior Twenty20 debut, on February 1 2010, by taking 2 for 11 against the impressive Afghanistan side.

Sahil Dutta (July 2010)