Junior Cricket: Cooper Jones on the Lismore under 12s carnival and his future in cricket

In doing so, he even outshone his idol, Josh Hazlewood.

"I was very surprised, and proud," Cooper said of his reaction to being given the award.

"Before the tournament I felt pretty good, especially bowling-wise."

His name is now etched into the record books alongside fellow Tamworth products Jye Paterson, Brock Sampson, and former Australian representative Erin Osborne.

With both bat and ball in hand, Cooper shone. He scored 160 runs at an average of 53, and took 13 wickets for the cost of just five runs apiece.

It was a superb all-round performance which pleased his father, Adam, to no end.

"You're proud of your kids no matter what they do, but when they achieve something that probably wasn't even thought of before the carnival, it's very special," Adam said.

"He's getting the accolades he deserves from the carnival he had, so I'm very proud of him."

The carnival has run for roughly 50 years and has a long history of featuring names that would go on to star in state and national teams.

The likes of Usman Khawaja, Moises Henriques, David Warner, and Phillip Hughes were just a handful of the many players to have taken part and achieved higher honours, as was Bendemeer product Josh Hazlewood, who Cooper hopes to emulate.

Though he is just preparing to start Year Six at St Edward's Primary School, Cooper already knows that he wants to pursue cricket as far as he can.

"I look up to [Hazlewood], especially bowling-wise. I want to be like him," he said.

Fortuitously, Adam counts Hazlewood among his oldest friends from their days playing cricket together as youngsters.

And, he said, the Australian fast bowler has given his kids some simple but important advice.

"He tells them to enjoy it," Adam said.

"When he comes to town and we see him, he'll always have a chat to the boys and he encourages them and says to make sure they enjoy it."

Cooper certainly seemed to enjoy himself in Lismore, and said his favourite match was the one against Far North Coast Country in which he made 50 retired and took 5-7, earning him Man of the Match honours.

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