Warwick win MCC Spirit of Cricket Inner-City Competition at Edgbaston

Date released: 21 April 2004

Warwick Under-14s has won the MCC Spirit of Cricket Inner-City Indoor six-a-side competition at Edgbaston. The tournament, held last Thursday, was the culmination of the Warwickshire Cricket Board's Winter Community Programme, designed to introduce local children, of all abilities, to the game of cricket.

The programme was supported by MCC Spirit of Cricket for the first time in 2004. The MCC Spirit of Cricket initiative - which encourages fair play in the game - has invested over £5,000 in the Warwickshire scheme, recognising the strength of youth cricket in the Birmingham area.

Coaching courses have been running since January in a wide range of locations, from inner-city to suburban areas. The programme culminated with a festival for Under-11s in Coventry and Edgbaston on 13th April, and an Under-14 festival at Edgbaston on 15th April.

The Warwick Under-14s won a closely contested final against Fox Hollies, of Birmingham, and received the cup from Worcestershire and England fast bowler Kabir Ali (right). The tournament featured 16 teams from across the region and in total over 600 boys and girls have benefited from this winter coaching scheme; all will be introduced to further cricket opportunities.

Speaking about this sponsorship, Tony Dodemaide, MCC Head of Cricket, and former Australia Test cricketer, said: "The Warwickshire Cricket Board does great work encouraging children to play cricket. When the chance to sponsor their community coaching programme arose, MCC had no hesitation in supporting their efforts. This scheme is one of many ways that MCC is striving to develop the next generation of young cricketers. Another of the Club's initiatives, the MCC Spirit of Cricket Challenge, will introduce over 6,000 children to the game in 2004, which, with international matches against New Zealand, West Indies and India, promises to be an exciting year for English cricket."