2025 saw Ben Kellaway become one of the pin-up boys of Welsh cricket, as the product of Chepstow Cricket Club and Cardiff University went from being a Biology undergraduate and emerging county cricketer with the ability to bowl with either arm to a player with the England Lions, besides, on his debut for the Welsh Fire in The Hundred, being a Meerkat Match Hero after taking two wickets plus three catches, completing a diving run out and, just for good measure, making a sensational effort for a catch in the outfield.
His journey from being a student cricketer to being on the fringe of England’s party for the 2025/26 Ashes began in May 2025 as the 21 year-old enjoy a purple patch with the ball and complete his Finals at Cardiff University. It began on the morning of 5 May with the Biology undergraduate posting what was a maiden half-century as he made 74 during the second innings of Glamorgan’s match against Derbyshire at Sophia Gardens as, together with Chris Cooke, they guided Glamorgan into a position where they could declare at lunch. After the interval, he then claimed his best-ever bowling figures of 5/101.
Canterbury was the stage for Ben’s next career-best performance as Glamorgan travelled to the Garden of England for their Championship encounter with Kent. It was here that he completed his maiden Championship century from 159 balls before going on to make 181* and beat David Hemp’s 171* made in 2005 which had been Glamorgan’s previous highest-score at the ground.
Ben had gone into the game at Canterbury aged 21 years and 124 days and became the ninth youngest Glamorgan batter to have completed maiden Championship hundreds, with his efforts surpassed by Kiran Carlson (aged 18 years and 118 days), Matthew Maynard (aged 19 years and 156 days) Aneurin Donald (aged 19 years and 210 days), Wayne Law (aged 19 years and 321 days), Maurice Turnbull (aged 20 years and 158 days), Hugh Morris (aged 20 years and 279 days), Geoff Holmes (aged 20 years and 287 days) and Cyril Walters (aged 20 years and 320 days).
Ben’s breakthrough season continued in early July as he scored another Championship hundred, this time against Gloucestershire at Cardiff, besides taking career-best figures of 6/111 as he became – as shown in the table below – the seventh player to achieve the feat for Glamorgan of a Championship hundred plus a five-for in the same match, as well as completing the best-ever all-round match figures at Sophia Gardens surpassing Rodney Ontong’s 104 and 5/40, also against Gloucestershire.
Hundred and a Five-For in a Championship Match – By Season
1935 DE Davies v Warwickshire at Swansea 100 5/54
1946 DE Davies v Hampshire at Swansea 119 5/61
1951 BL Muncer v Derbyshire at Chesterfield 107* 5/34 & 5/23
1952 AJ Watkins v Leicestershire at Neath 107 5/16
1962 PM Walker v Middlesex at Lord`s 152* 7/58
1979 RC Ontong v Gloucestershire at Sophia Gardens 104 5/40
1985 RC Ontong v Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge 130 5/39 & 8/67
1988 JG Thomas v Warwickshire at Edgbaston 110 6/70
2025 BI Kellaway v Gloucestershire at Sopha Gardens 139 6/111
The morning of 14 July saw the youngster formally signed as a wildcard for the Welsh Fire for The Hundred. It was a truly remarkable day for Ben because as the ink dried on the paperwork, it was time for him to meet up with his family and don a gown as he attended his graduation ceremony from Cardiff University and, like so many of the other youngsters, proudly pose for photographs. But his day was not over as, an hour or so later, he was on his travels to Leicestershire to attend a spin bowling camp organised by the ECB as Graeme Swann, Kumar Sangakkara and Andrew Flintoff ran their eyes over a group of emerging young players, all of whom had aspirations of being selected in the Lions squad for the winter tour to Australia.
A month later he was enjoying an equally remarkable evening as he made a stunning debut for the Welsh Fire, against the Birmingham Phoenix on 22 August at Edgbaston. In all, Ben claimed three catches, including one off his own bowling as Joe Clarke completely miscued a pull against Ben’s second delivery and skied a catch back to the jubilant bowler. A few overs later, Ben was also in the action again as he swooped in from mid-on to complete a decisive run-out with his athletic efforts in the field seeing the 21 year-old being nominated as the Meerkat Match Hero.
Ben nearly hit the headlines again the following week at the Utilita Bowl as he shared a rollicking fifth-wicket stand of 81 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore which nearly saw the Fire pull off a stunning victory against the Southern Brave. With his stock rising by the day and his reputation as a batter and bowler in both red and white-ball cricket blossoming, it was no surprise in September when the 21 year-old was chosen in the England Lions party to visit Australia and act as a shadow squad to the national team in the Ashes series.
“It’s certainly been a rollercoaster of a year,” he said following the news of his selection in the touring party. “I wouldn’t have believed you if you said at the beginning of the year that I would score a couple of Championship hundreds and end up with over 800 runs in Championship cricket at an average in excess of 50, besides completing career-best bowling figures, playing in The Hundred and being chosen for the England Lions! Visiting Australia with the Lions will be an absolutely unbelievable opportunity. To go up a level and experience international cricket has always been a goal of mine. If I can be a Welshman representing England and add my name to a list of not many people to have done so, it will be a very proud thing.”
A few days after the announcement of the England Lions party, further accolades came his way as, firstly, he was selected by Wisden in their County Championship Team of the Season, before being chosen as Glamorgan’s Player of the Year at the Club’s Annual Awards evening. But this was not the end of the story as during late November, Ben scored a half-century for the England Lions against the full England Test team in their sole warm-up match at Lilac Hill in Perth ahead of the opening Test of the 2025/26 Ashes series, before in December, being called up as injury cover by the Gulf Giants in the International League T20 competition in Dubai City. He duly played in one match, on 28 December against the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, alongside his forthcoming Glamorgan colleague Sean Dickson. Ben – batting at number three – only made 5 but the fact that he was chosen to appear in this very prestigious tournament was further evidence of how his stock had dramatically risen during 2025.