The spider | Rehan Ahmed’s Technicolor technique deserves a show on Ashes Stage

AS The hundred fires in primary summer promotion, all free T-shirts and AI fan photos, the spider has set up her feet, coffee in one hand, notebook in the other, which has been chewing over the champions so far.

If the notebook has proven a bitter disappointment, scribbled with long forgotten three for 67s, the reconciliations were fun. It has been a season of surprises – Leicestershire! Lancashire! -And memorable moments, from Tom Banton’s 371 in the very first match to Ian Botham’s Thunder and Fury about Somerset’s field-of-on-onions pitch for the match against Durham.

But in all Gin -Joints, in all cities, the only player who has left the biggest impression is young, still so young Rehan Ahmed – who celebrates his 21st birthday on Wednesday.

Ahmed, you will remember, has made an early debut for England in Karachi in December 2022, only 18 years and 126 days old, Brian shots close to the wings – which in itself is quite a kind of achievement. With his wheel-legged leeches, he bustled five to 48 in the second innings, to help England to an eight-wicket victory, and looked feet on the couch at home in the Bazball setup. Since then he played here and there, another four tests, plus six odis and 10 T20s, but nothing since last fall.

The progress after his test debut was random, as you would expect that a teenager would still establish in his own skin. In 2024 he played eight champion matches for Leicestershire, made four 50s and 33 with the bat on average. With the ball he fell 13 wickets on a less than dreamy 60.69.

This year, with only three games of the season, he has played in 10 and is on average more than 50, with five centuries (the joint leading hundred scorer in division two, besides Kent’s Ben Compton and Saif Zaib who had a fantastic season for Northhamptonshire). With the ball the improvement has been even steeper, with 23 wickets on an average of 19 – and many of that bowling on the merciless Grace Road Square.

But the figures only outline a sketch, and Ahmed is a technicolor player, an energy bath bomb with a textbook technique. The spider was lucky to let him blind in the flesh for two hundredths this year against Lancashire, one in Old Trafford, one on Grace Road, opponent turning, sparkling innings so much better than the previous blind border Biffing. He added one to Kent, another against Glamorgan and became the first Englishman to take 13 Wickets and scored a century in a first-class competition since Ian Botham in the 1980 jubilee test, after Derbyshire to the cleaners with both bat and ball.

His season to remember has tickled the spectators on Grace Road, as well as the play staff. And not only because of his role in firing them to promotion to division one, now only a fingertip gone. He is also a really popular young man.

On the field a step up the order has brought more responsibility, something he enjoyed. And with the ball he found more control – while previously a first more than a spell was loose, and went for 10 points, this year he was held on top of the scoreboard. Those who viewed him from the sidelines have seen a subtle shift – from someone who was always a good teammate to someone who wants to bring his game to a higher level. Someone who meant things from the first moment of the preseason.

Claude Henderson is the director of Leicestershire of Cricket. “I think there will be a lot more, we are not even close to the best of Rehan Ahmed,” he says. “There is a huge ceiling there. It must be very exciting for England to look – Rehan in the top six would solve many problems for them. It is also very exciting for us!

“I have always said that you have a hell of a Batsman there. The skills and the hunger and the passion – that is what it seems, that is what I saw when he was 18 years old. He is a very honest young man, he just wants to play cricket, loves a challenge, what you see is.

“His introduction to cricket happened very quickly and that creates a bit busy, but he has come through with flag colors. His fitness has improved, his bowling has improved, which is really good to see, he is more mature and everything as he scores the runs, the wickets, the wickets, with a glimowed face.”

Would Henderson take Ahmed on the Ashes Tour, with all the pressure that entails? “I would certainly consider him. I know what he can offer. If she can be comfortable that he can hit seven in the top, then you have an all -rounder in the sleeve. He has shown in the championship, and now in the hundred, where he is capable of the BAT.

Happy birthday Rehan, may you continue to hiss and your winter you and us, generously.