Price and Lion-Cachet Showcase National Counties Talent

Two eye-catching recent performances have again proved that the production line of talented young cricketers in Oxfordshire is working as efficiently as ever. 

All-rounder Tom Price, born and raised in Oxfordshire and a graduate of the county’s youth system and National Counties side, scored a maiden first-class century followed by a hat-trick on the opening day of Gloucestershire’s LV= County Championship match against Worcestershire at New Road. 

Three days later 19-year-old Zach Lion-Cachet slammed a 56-ball century to help Oxfordshire beat Bedfordshire at Dunstable in the National Counties T20 competition having only made his first appearance in the format earlier in the day. 

Those headline-making performances of individual brilliance brough a warm glow of pride to Oxfordshire head coach Rupert Evans who has nurtured the talent of both Price and Lion-Cachet from an early age. 

“I am delighted to see guys who have come through our pathway system doing well. The good thing about them and the other players that we have with first-class counties is that they are so humble,” Evans said. 

“They are smashing lads, they are well-mannered, there’s no arrogance about them whatsoever. When they come back and play for Oxfordshire they are the lads who, when we have finished the warm-ups, pick up the gear without prompting. They have always been like that.” 

Price is one of ten Oxfordshire-produced players currently on the staff of first-class counties with his younger brother Ollie and two more pairs of brothers – Jack and Matt Taylor and Luke and Ben Charlesworth – plus batter Miles Hammond also with Gloucestershire, seamer Jack Brooks with Somerset and James Coles and Harrison Ward with Sussex. 

All have returned at some stage to play for the county that produced them when first-class commitments have permitted with the Price brothers, Luke Charlesworth, Coles and Ward all helping Oxfordshire win the National Counties T20 title last season by playing in both games on Finals Day at Tring. 

“We are very fortunate that they want to come back and play for us,” Evans said.  

“When they play it raises the standard of our team. At Finals Day last year we had five players who have moved on to the next level and our fielding was outstanding throughout the day.” 

Price’s emergence with Gloucestershire over the past 12 months has not surprised Evans who believes that his first club, Abingdon Vale, deserves recognition for the part they played in developing his talent and that of Lion-Cachet. 

“With Tom - and Ollie likewise - you could always see their improvement year by year,” Evans said. 

“Not only that, in addition to their ability, they have such a strong work ethic that you can see how much they want to succeed. 

“They were always in the Oxfordshire pathway system. In fact their club, Abingdon Vale, should be lauded and applauded for what they have done. 

“Through that club’s youth section have come Harrison Ward, Tom Price, Ollie Price, Ben Charlesworth, Luke Charlesworth and Zach Lion-Cachet. It’s unbelievable isn’t it? 

“Unfortunately. in recent years the club has struggled and had two consecutive relegations in the Cherwell League so this season they will be playing in Division Three. 

“But these youngsters have all come through the system there along with Alex Chapman who has played three matches for Oxfordshire when we won the National Counties Championship in 2021. 

“Paul White, who is now my assistant coach with Oxfordshire, is now chairman of the club, he was coaching there as was Graham Charlesworth, who coaches Oxfordshire. 

“So, they have had good coaches but it’s just amazing that one cricket club has produced all these lads.” 

Lion-Cachet, the son of former Oxford University rugby captain Chad, is at an earlier stage of his cricketing development having suffered a knee injury playing football that disrupted his first season with Sussex. 

He played a game for Sussex’s Second XI earlier this month and Evans is hopeful that he will get further opportunities to press his claims for a contract in the coming weeks. 

“Zach played really well against Bedfordshire who are a good side,” Evans said, 

“In the first game, we probably didn’t execute our plans well enough, we were trying to hit too hard and, on reflection, we should have been trying to get a run-a-ball, 120-130, which I think would have been enough. 

“But we were still looking to try to get 150 and it didn’t come off. In the second game, the fact that we won the toss and batted would have surprised them, especially having not batted well in the first game. 

“Zach just played really well and showed a lot of maturity for a young lad. He didn’t try to just whack it, he maneuvered the ball around the field really cleverly. Not only that he took three catches in the field as well. 

“I certainly think he has got the potential to be a first-class player and hopefully he will do that. 

“He was on Sussex’s Academy but in his first year, he was injured. He’s a good footballer and was on Southampton’s academy but he got a knee injury which set him back in both sports and he hardly played in his first year with Sussex. 

“Hopefully he will get a contract because he can play. At the moment Sussex have all their contracted players fit but, when the boys go off to white ball, he will get more opportunities in their Second XI.”