Luke Gilbert has continued his rapid rise with success at county level and international recognition.

The Huntingdon potter, who claimed world junior title glory last summer and has since, has made a smooth step up into Under 23 competition.

Gilbert has helped the Cambridgeshire Under 23 side to regional and national glory in the English Pool Association’s Inter-County Cup competition.

The Cambs side roared to glory in Region 4 - an area featuring Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – before going on to triumph in the finals against the other group winners.

Gilbert, 18, helped the locals see off Lancashire B 11-6 at the quarter-final stage, overcome Sussex 12-10 in the semi-finals and then beat Northants 11-6 in the final.

He also reached the semi-finals of the accompanying Under 23 Singles event where he lost in a final-frame decider.

Gilbert was the top-ranked Under 23 player in the region in his first year playing at that age level and has also appeared for the Men’s ‘A’ team for Cambridgeshire.

His fine form earned him selection for the England Under 23 squad and he starred at the internal trials last month when winning nine of his 11 matches to secure a spot in the national ‘A’ team for the World Championships.

Gilbert has also performed with credit in a host of tournaments on the English Pool Association tour circuit, the Herts Pool Tour, the Leicester Pool Tour and the Big 50s Tour and helped his local team, Mickey Flynn’s, finish as runners-up at the national finals.

Since the closure of the 147 Club in Huntingdon, Gilbert has been based at The Court Pool & Snooker Club in Peterborough, which is run by former individual and team world champion John Roe.