BEN Hamilton became a record breaker when he ran up an incredible 161 not out for his district team.

The Little Hulton youngster rattled up the huge score for Salford Under-11s against Bury.

It was a record score for a Salford District player at any age group, beating the 150 Clifton's Sam Dorsey scored in 2015 at an older age group.

Ben's blitz – which came off just 133 balls in Salford's home 40-over match at Winton Cricket Club – smashed the previous record for a Salford U11 player which was held by Basil Sultan who hit 112 last year.

Both boys play for Little Hulton who have had a rich history of producing young talent down the years only to lose most of them to other clubs when they get old enough to play first-team cricket.

Ben, aged 11, has made a rapid improvement since first picking up a cricket bat when he was seven, culminating in him being selected for Lancashire U11s.

His dad, Mark Hamilton, said: "Each night after school at Wharton Primary, there would be a group of kids knocking on the door for Ben to go and play cricket on the street.

"This was when he began to take an interest in cricket properly.

"He first started going watching his friends play in matches at our local cricket club, Little Hulton, and he was soon talked into playing in the under-9s team.

"At the age of eight he was put forward for trials with Salford district cricket by Mark Lee, the under-9s manager at Little Hulton.

"He was successful at the trials and has played ever since.

"This year Ben has been put forward for trials with Lancashire county cricket by his Salford district manager, Nigel Warne.

"He was successful and now plays for the county under-11s team."

Ben's mum, Debbie Thomas, added: "Cricket has become a major part of Ben's life now, not just for the sport but also for the friendships he has made at the club and throughout the different teams he plays in.

"This plays a massive role in Ben's love for cricket as everyone is like one huge family. The parents and children all support each other 100 per cent and the support Ben has received from the club and all his managers at all levels – club, district and county – is amazing.

Both us, as parents, and Ben are grateful for it all and look forward to what we hope is a long career in cricket.

"The score of 161 made us nervous all the while he was batting and then proud as punch at the end of the game, and to be a record holder is fantastic."