ACADEMY coach Elliot Wilson says young Worcestershire paceman Adam Finch should be aspiring to make a first-team breakthrough this summer.

Wilson has praised the “fantastic climb” in academy product Finch’s development as a cricketer and a willingness to learn after being a fringe county age group player when 15.

Finch, 18, has just returned from England under 19s' tour of Bangladesh and is now one of their senior bowlers after striding forward in the last three or four years.

Wilson hopes he can emulate Josh Tongue, Dillon Pennington, Pat Brown and George Scrimshaw in pushing for the first XI.

The coach said: “Adam has gone from where he was as a 15 to 16 year old to being one of the senior players with the England under 19s quite quickly.

“He is well regarded, performing well and has made some significant improvements with his physical state.

“The trick, like Pat, George, Dillon and Josh have done over the last number of years, is to quickly transition to the first team.

“Dillon, Josh, George when he was fit and Pat have all found a way into the first team and when they’ve played have done well.

“Adam should be aspiring to say ‘There’s no reason why I can’t do something pretty similar this summer’.

“He is an effective learner. It is something we look out for and he does have the ability to take stuff on board quite quickly.”

Wilson says Finch deserves credit for the way his career has advanced so quickly.

He said: “When he was 15 to 16 he was overweight, which he will openly admit to, and only a fringe county age group player at 15.

“He was a long way out of everyone’s consciousness. He certainly wouldn’t have been someone we were looking towards at 15 years of age as a potential county cricketer.

“Over the following two years his cricket progressed outstandingly and he now finds himself with a couple of decent years under his belt with England under 19s and this summer will be his first as a full-time professional cricketer.

“I’m sure he will show why he is so highly regarded by people here.

"It is a fantastic climb and he has had to work his backside off. He has made a serious commitment to his cricket and a lot of sacrifices.”