Anthony Devlin has been appointed Marylebone Cricket Club Young Cricket Photographer 2004.

The former Gloucestershire Echo lensman (pictured) beat applications from as far afield as New Zealand to win the scholarship, worth around £5,000.

Anthony, (25), began his season as the MCC Young Cricket Photographer when the club faced County champions Sussex at Lord’s.

During the year he will receive expert professional guidance from top sports photographers and will have a season-long ‘All Matches’ photographer’s pass to Lord’s.

He will also stage an end-of-season exhibition at the world-class ground, and may also get the chance to cover one of the MCC’s overseas tours.

Anthony said: “I am delighted to have been awarded this MCC scholarship.

“I have always been a sports fan, so it’s going to be enormously exciting to work at Lord’s – the home of cricket – alongside top photographers like Graham Morris and Patrick Eagar.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to cover an extraordinarily wide range of matches – from Tests to blind cricket.

“It will be a great way of increasing my experience and improving my portfolio. I hope it will enable me to take my photographic career to a new level.”

Anthony began his career at the Tameside Reporter, and after studying for his NCTJ in press photography he joined the Gloucestershire Echo last year.

Commitments under the terms of the scholarship mean he has now had to leave the paper, and he plans to use the £5,000 to buy his own photographic equipment and work as a freelance when he is not at Lord’s.

This is the second time that the scholarship has been awarded, and Anthony was the unanimous choice of the selection panel.

MCC curator Adam Chadwick said: “Anthony’s portfolio was extremely impressive. He clearly has a great talent for both action and atmospheric photography. His obvious love of sport will stand him in good stead for an extremely busy season at Lord’s.”

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