Basingstoke wins MCC Spirit of Cricket U-13 National Club Championship

Date released: 12 August 2003

Basingstoke & North Hants Cricket Club has won MCC's Spirit of Cricket U-13 National Club Championship - in which no fewer than 1,690 clubs took part.

Having previously triumphed in the South & South East area, Basingstoke & North Hants joined seven other regional winners in the recent Finals Week at Oakham School, in Leicestershire. At the end of four days of intense competition, the team emerged victorious and was presented with the Ken Barrington Trophy.

The U-13 National Club Championship is organised by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - the game's national governing body. The 2003 Championship was sponsored by MCC Spirit of Cricket - an initiative designed to encourage fair play in cricket around the world. MCC's Secretary & Chief Executive, Roger Knight (right), and Tony Dodemaide, the Club's Head of Cricket, were both present at Oakham School last Friday (8th August) to watch the competition's closing stages.

"The standard of cricket was very high, and the games were exciting to watch", said Roger Knight. "All participants should be proud of having reached the Finals Week, but congratulations are due to Basingstoke & North Hants, in particular, on having secured the title of 2003 champions."

"MCC's aim is for the Spirit of Cricket to be at the core of every game", he added. "I hope that the Basingstoke & North Hants players will have enjoyed and learned from their experience, and that they will continue to play hard but fair throughout their individual cricket careers".

An additional award was won by Worcester Dominies & Guild Cricket Club, when it was presented with a special trophy for fair play after a vote by the tournament umpires.