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West Kent and Bradford Hubs victorious as 10-year-old breaks record at Lord's in MCCF National Hub Competition Finals

Posted: 6 September 2026

Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation (MCCF) hosted the girls’ and boys’ finals of its annual National Hub Competition, supported by Barclays, at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday 5 September. History is likely to have been made as a 10-year-old, Annabelle Howe, is believed to be the youngest cricketer to play at Lord’s.

After several months of competition involving over 200 Hubs from all over the UK, West Kent Boys won the Under-15s Boys’ Final and Bradford Girls won the Under-17s Girls’ Final on the Main Ground at Lord’s. On the Nursery Ground, Coventry Boys won the Boys’ Under-13s Final while a South Select XI defeated a North Select XI in an girls’ invitational match.
It was an incredibly impressive display by West Kent Boys, restricting York Boys to 86 for 6 from their 20 overs with two wickets apiece for Samarth Shrivastava and Isaac Smit. The target was chased down in just 6.3 overs after a powerful batting performance from West Kent captain Aarav Gupta, scoring 63* from 30 balls.

In the Girls’ Final, Bradford Girls amassed 163 for 5 with player of the match Matilda Potter top-scoring on 38. West Kent’s Howe claimed figures of 1 for 9 and scored 11. Bradford restricted their opponents to 115 for 4 to win by 48 runs. Earlier in the competition, West Kent captain Megan Thomas became the first female player to score a century in an MCCF match, and became the first player – male or female – to score two hundreds in the same year of the competition.

On the Nursery Ground, 44 from Muhammad Hashim was enough to help them post 136 for 8 before keeping Sheffield to 101 for 9 to win the Boys’ Under-13 Final.

In a change to previous competitions – which saw an Under-16s and an Under-14s matches for both boys and girls – this year, the MCC Foundation has undertaken Under-13s and Under-15s tournaments for the boys and an Under-17s competition for the girls. Further, MCCF has held several festivals of cricket days around the country, from East Kilbride CC in Scotland to Budleigh Salterton CC in Devon, to offer match play opportunities for young girls.

The MCCF National Hubs Programme offers free year-round coaching and match play to over 7,000 state-educated girls and boys. This includes access to the Springboard Programme for the most talented cricketers, giving them a chance to develop their skills along the talent pathway and entering County Age Groups. It forms the cornerstone of the Foundation’s work in the UK, helping to nurture young talent and create opportunities for promising cricketers to hone their skills and improve their confidence under the mentorship of the MCC Foundation’s network of coaches.

All four teams playing on the Main Ground were given the full playing experience, matching that of any international match day at Lord’s, with use of the Home and Away Dressing Rooms and lunch served in the Players’ Dining Room.

Family and friends of the players and MCCF supporters enjoyed the cricketing action from the Lord’s Pavilion, usually only accessed by MCC Members, while those unable to make it to Lord’s engaged via social media and the live stream on MCCF’s YouTube channel. Commentators Aatif Nawaz and Melinda Farrell were joined by in-ground host Aminah Rahman (a runner-up in the MCC Female Broadcaster of the Year competition 2026) as well as players, Hub Managers, and other guests from the world of cricket throughout the day.

The MCCF National Hub Competitions were generously supported by Lord’s Principal Partner Barclays. The regular funding from Barclays enables MCCF develop their shared ambition of creating accessible and inclusive cricket for 10,000 young people by 2028.
MCC President Ed Smith and his wife, Rebecca Smith, who sits on the MCCF Development Board, presented the medals alongside MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Rob Lawson.

Aarav Gupta, captain of West Kent Boys, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled. I wasn’t expecting that. I just went out there and did my best. When I came here this morning, I was just so excited to play here at Lord’s, I wasn’t even thinking of the performance.”

Dan Bygrave, State School Lead for Kent, said: “What a great day for Kent cricket. It’s been such a fantastic experience for both our Boys and Girls Hubs, and a testament to the hard work put in by the players and coaching staff. There’s plenty of talent out there, you only need to see the performances of Aarav and Megan Thomas, and we can proud of Kent’s place in Lord’s history today when Annabelle walked out to represent us.”

Angus Berry, MCC Foundation CEO, said: “The MCCF National Hubs Finals Day is such a wonderful occasion. I am so proud of all the young cricketers who managed to battle their way to Lord’s and they are richly rewarded with a day to remember. It is our pleasure to pull out all the stops and deliver the full playing experience for these talented players. I hope their experience today helps drive them on in their development in cricket, whether that is progression onto the formal talent pathway or fostering a lifelong love of the game.”