YOUNG Beckenham seam bowler Alex Blake became the first, two-time winner of the John Aitken Gray Trophy.

The second year Kent Academy Scholar collected his trophy during Kent’s championship clash with Middlesex.

Blake, who also won the award last summer, receives £500 for being the club’s best academy scholar in this the third year of the memorial award.

The trophy is named after former Kent member John Gray, who left a 10-year legacy of a £500 annual scholarship, which first went to former England Under-19 bowler Simon Cusden back in 2004.

This season Blake has played four games for Kent’s title-winning 2nd XI Championship winning side taking five wickets and posting a top-score of 44.

He ended the summer as 12th man for the county first team on duty against Warwickshire at Edgbaston before collecting his trophy last week from Mr Gray’s widow, Myrna.