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Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup trophy revealed and Headingley to host semi-finals

Posted: 9 April 2026

The Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation (MCCF) is delighted to reveal the design of two identical trophies to be presented to the winners of the boys’ and girls’ competitions in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup. MCCF can also confirm that Headingley Cricket Ground (Yorkshire) will stage the North v. Central boys’ and girls’ semi-finals on Monday 13 July.

Designed and made by Thomas Lyte, the trophies feature three tall, silver-plated cricket stumps, topped with gold-plated bails with the competitions ‘KS’ monogram set inside a cricket ball. The dynamism of the 40cm tall trophy design is illustrated by the breaking of the bails.

As Official Trophy Partner of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, Thomas Lyte have handcrafted two high quality and long-lasting iconic trophies, two attributes that suit a competition which the MCC Foundation hopes will find a firm place in the English cricket calendar for years to come.

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Thomas Lyte are Royal Warrant Holders as goldsmiths and silversmiths to His Majesty the King and have immense pedigree in designing, creating and restoring elite sporting trophies. Most notably, their world class crafting team, based in London and their second workshop in the South East of England, handcrafted the Emirates FA Cup in 2014 and are the trusted restorers of The Webb Ellis Cup – the men’s Rugby World Cup. Within cricket, Thomas Lyte has been commissioned to design and make several significant trophies including the ICC World Test Championship Mace and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Perhaps most pertinently for this design, Thomas Lyte also designed the two trophies for The Hundred which, like the trophies for the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, are exactly equal in design and the materials used. 

Not only will the winners lift these special new trophies, but the winning schools will also have their names etched into history on a new Honours Board, to be installed in the Writing Room in the Lord’s Pavilion.

Headingley will be the stage for the North v. Central boys’ and girls’ semi-finals on Monday 13 July, becoming the first Test venue to host a Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup fixture. More schools in Yorkshire have signed up to the competition than in any other county, encouraged by former Yorkshire and England captain Michael Vaughan, who helped to establish the competition. This follows the news that the South West v. South East semi-finals will take place at Wormsley Cricket Ground (Buckinghamshire) on Thursday 16 July. The winners of the four matches will progress to the Finals Day at Lord’s on Thursday 10 September.

Angus Berry, CEO of MCCF, said: “It is incredibly exciting to be so near to the start of the first matches in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup. It is important that all schools see the ambitions we are setting for this competition, exemplified by a magnificent trophy. Like the FA Cup, we want anyone to dream of competing in this tournament and walking out onto the hallowed turf at Lord’s.”

Neil MacLaurin, Non-Executive Director of Thomas Lyte said: “Cricket is a great passion for the business, and for many of our colleagues. So the opportunity to be involved in such an inspirational competition like the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup was too good to miss. Providing talented youngsters with the opportunity to thrive – be it in the workshop or on the cricket pitch – is vitally important to us at Thomas Lyte and I cannot wait for the Finals Day at Lord’s.”

Tom Corbett, Managing Director of Sponsorship and Client Experience at Barclays: “We’re incredibly proud to be launching the Barclays Knight Stokes Cup in April and to play a role in opening up equal access to cricket for a new generation of young people. For the first time, state schools will have a national stage in hardball cricket — giving young players something to aim for, something to belong to, and the chance to see themselves represented at the heart of the game, all the way to the final at Lord’s on 10 September. We’re excited to see the confidence, talent and ambition this tournament will unlock in young players across the country.”

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