The 16-year-old from Norton Tower is also a hugely-talented opening batsman with Warley and the Halifax Joe Lumb side and currently heads the Towergate Halifax League Premier Division batting charts with 450 runs from eight innings.

The former Sowerby Bridge High School student, who plays in the centre of defence, has been with the Terriers since the age of seven and it would appear he is now well on the way to carving out a career in the game.

His footballing commitments start in August which means he will be forced to miss the final weeks of the cricket season.

Atkinson's love of sport has been passed down from his father, David, who still plays second team cricket at Warley and also played football at local level.

And Chris is not the only talented offspring as his 12-year-old brother Ben also looks likely to follow in his older sibling's stud marks.

Ben, who prefers to play in the centre of defence, is also on the academy books at the McAlpine Stadium and has recently signed an extension to his contract which should keep him at Huddersfield until the age of 16 at least.