Cricket ace Chris Connolly has his sights set on playing full-time for Lancashire after making his mark for the county at academy level.

The 17-year-old's fast bowling technique has already caught the eye of Lancashire coaches and could earn him a permanent contract with the club in the future.

Chris, an A-Level student at South Cheshire College, has picked up the pace since he first started playing cricket as a youngster where he represented Cheshire at under-14s level.

But the dedicated sportsman can only play for his home county up until the age of 18 and is hoping to break into the Lancashire set-up on a permanent basis, either at under-19 level or in the second team.

Chris, a former pupil at the King's School in Macclesfield, said: "I've obviously got ties with Cheshire because it is my home county, but in terms of my future development in the game Lancashire is a set-up which really impresses me.

"Since I joined the Lancashire academy I've been working with some top coaches, such as Terry Holt."

Chris, who can clock up bowling speeds of up to 87 miles per hour, made his debut for the Lancashire academy against Worcester and has also starred against Derbyshire.

He was also lucky enough to bowl against Australian batsman Michael Hussey during a practice session earlier this year as the Aussies warmed up for their test series and one day games against England.

Despite being forced into a spell on the sidelines towards the tail-end of the summer with a double-hernia injury, Chris is now looking forward to going from strength with his game.

He has also had a major boost after being offered a trial by the English Cricket Board (ECB) to go out to play in Sri Lanka in February.

In the meantime, Chris will work on his game through the winter and continue to study his A-Levels in Spanish, English Language and English Literature at the College's Dane Bank Avenue campus.

Chris, who lives in Sandbach, said: "Cricket is obviously a big part of my life but my sights are firmly focused on completing my education at college.

"I'm enjoying my time here and the College has been very flexible with my cricketing aspirations.

"I've also received financial support in terms of an EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) each month which has helped towards the cost of things."

He added: "I used to be a batsman but my strength is definitely bowling. I suppose the person I look up to most in the current game is Andrew (Freddie) Flintoff.

"What he has achieved as an all-rounder is fantastic and if I can follow in his footsteps I'll be a very happy man."