Prince Harry bids to bowl over youngsters at home of cricket

Prince Harry tried his best to bowl over spectators with his cricketing ability after joining young sports coaches on the field at Lord's.

The royal, dressed in smart attire, rolled up his sleeve for a catching drill as he stepped on to the field of play with youngsters from a coaching apprenticeship programme.

Pausing for breath after several catches, he expressed joking alarm after he was told that he was only half way through the practice.

Harry had been visiting the historic sporting ground to mark the expansion of Coach Core, a sporting initiative of which he is a patron.

It is geared towards enhancing opportunities for disadvantaged young people aged 16 to 24 - training them as sports coaches with a "holistic" approach, aimed at bolstering their employability and leadership skills.

Dozens from the programme gathered in the shadow of the main field of play at Lord's to show the royal their skills.

They were also joined by double Olympic gold medallist Max Whitlock, who is a sporting ambassador of Coach Core.

But it was not just bowling drills on show for Harry at the so-called home of cricket - football and netball-style exercises were also on display.

Harry then showed off some fancy footwork when he joined a football kick around, high-fiving and light-heartedly poking fun at the other players.

The initiative currently works alongside 42 partners, including Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord's, and West Ham United - with 98% of its graduates now having entered full time employment.

It is hoped that by spring next year they will collaborate with 100 partners in total.