At 17 and already 6ft 2in and still growing, Chare Smith has the height for a fast bowler.

He comes from good cricketing stock, too, as the grandson of former Cleveland fast bowler Robert Simons and the nephew of Ken Pitcher, the former St David’s and St George’s Cup Match pace bowler.

Smith was named the Bowler of the Tournament during the just-concluded Under-19 World Cup Qualifying Tournament held here, taking 13 wickets at 10.45 each, including a five-wicket haul in a winning display against the United States.

Now the Warwick youngster aims to build on last week’s performances as he advances his career both here and abroad.

“I thought I performed well overall. A few times I lacked in my batting, but will have plenty of chances to improve on that,” said Smith who bats at number five for Warwick.

“If I can I want to help them get up into the Premier Division. We have a nice young team now and if we stay together we have a chance.”

Smith wasn’t even born by the time his grandfather’s career ended, and he never saw his great uncles, Pitcher or Albert Simons, play either, though he has heard about their accomplishments. Robert Simons had just one appearance for St George’s in Cup Match and already in his late 30s when he made his debut in 1985.

“I started cricket because of my grandfather, hearing about how he was one of Bermuda’s fastest,” said Smith. “My older cousins started playing cricket too and we played a lot in the backyard, pushing each other. I lived in Warwick and then moved to St David’s and now back to Warwick.

“My grandfather still has a big impact on my cricket.Sometimes I ask him for advice. As a right-arm bowler I swing the ball away [from the right-hand batsman] so I’m working on bowling the inswinger and other variations,” said Smith who lists James Anderson of England as one of his favourite international players.

Smith is eligible to play in the Counties for St David’s though residency and Cup Match is another goal, though parents Chuncey and Robin Smith are careful not to push him too far, too fast, preferring to keep him as grounded as possible.

“I think he has developed well but in the grand scheme of things we don’t want to get to overrating him like a lot of Bermudians do,” said his father. “The thing we talk about the most, which he showed in the tournament, was being able to perform when it counts the most, not just on the weekend when you are knocking around with the boys, but on the big stage.”

Smith has goals of playing abroad, in England or Australia or maybe even the IPL. At only 17 he has time on his side.

“I’ve been stressing to him that if you can’t do it when it is most needed then it really doesn’t mean much,” said his father. “You have to be able to produce when you are called up, no matter where it is, no matter the circumstances.”

Locally, Chare credits his club coaches Lionel Cann and Lorenzo Tucker for aiding in his development. “Lionel is a good coach and keeps us in line,” he said.

“I’ve been working with coach Tucker since the age of ten. He has really been there for the whole time, helping me get better and teaching me new things.”