David Mathias of Bahrain scored two consecutive centuries in the Insportz under-11 Gulf Cup tournament. He cracked 118 on Saturday against Sharjah at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and followed it up with a 105 against Insportz Green at the Dubai Cricket Council ground yesterday.

David, who began as a rugby player, stands tall amidst all the under-11 players. He has a big built like his father, Richard Mathias,who is the Director, Youth Cricket, Bahrain Cricket Association. His gait and style show traits of having played rugby earlier.

"I started off as a rugby player, but one day I tried bowling and I loved it. My father, too, encouraged me to play cricket and I picked up the basics from Mohan Kutty, Bahrain's national coach. Rexy, another coach, too, helped me and I was selected as the opening batsman and opening bowler of my school," said David, who is a Grade seven student at the Sacred Heart School in Bahrain.

David practices for four hours every day at the Bahrain Cricket Academy, and has also been trained by former Pakistan Test star Tauseef Ahmed and the UAE player Shehzad Altaf.

"My training under Tauseef and Altaf for two months in the UAE helped me improve my game tremendously," feels David, who has also hit nine half centuries in inter-school matches.

Talking about his centuries here, the bubbly David said, "I was nervous when I was about to reach my first century against Sharjah, but against Insportz I was very confident."

Yesterday's century was David's third ton of his career. He had hit an unbeaten 183 against Combined Schools in an inter-school event in Bahrain last year.

David has also toured England as part of the tour organised by Altaf, and has been fortunate to attend the Dolphins Cricket Academy at Kingsmead in South Africa.

"It was a great moment for me. I practised at the nets next to where Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener, two of my favourites cricketers, were training. I was coached by former West Indies player, Eldine Baptiste, at the academy," recalls this opening bowler for Bahrain.