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Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup

Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup

A new national hardball competition for state schools

The Final of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup will take place at Lord's on Thursday 10 September.

You can see a full list of all the schools that have entered the competition below.

All 2026 Entrants

Here are the qualified teams for teh National Rounds, beginnign on Monday 29 June:

Boys’ Competition

Region

Date

Qualifier 1

Qualifier 2

Qualifier 3

Qualifier 4

Venue

North

Mon 29 June

Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham (Northumberland)

St Leonard's Catholic School (Durham)

Thorp Academy (Durham)

Larbert High (Scotland)

Consett CC + Shotley Bridge CC

Abraham Moss Community School (Lancashire)

Audenshaw School (Lancashire)

Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Penrith (Cumbria)

Isle of Man XI

AKS Lytham

Tues 30 June

 

Richmond School (Yorkshire North)

Abbey Grange Academy (Yorkshire North)

Beverley Grammar School (Yorkshire South)

Holmfirth High School (Yorkshire South)

GSAL - Leeds

Altrincham Grammar School for Boys (Cheshire)

Sandbach School (Cheshire)

Ysgol David Hughes (North Wales)

Strabane Academy (Northern Ireland)

Cheadle Hulme School

Central

Mon 29 June

Sir Thomas Rich's (Gloucestershire)

Winterbourne Academy (Gloucestershire)

Old Swinford Hospital (Worcestershire)

Lady Hawkins School (Herefordshire)

Cheltenham College

Tues 30 June

 

Rushey Mead Academy (Leicestershire)

Robert Smyth Academy (Leicestershire)

The West Bridgford School (Nottinghamshire)

Ecclesbourne School (Derbyshire)

Oakham School

Weds 1 July

TBC - Northamptonshire

Carre's/QEGS Alford (Lincolnshire)

Samuel Whitbread Academy (Bedfordshire)

The Kings (Cathedral) School, Peterborough (Huntingdonshire)

Kimbolton School

Thurs 2 July

 

TBC - Shropshire

Lawrence Sheriff School (Warwickshire)

Painsley Catholic Coillege (Staffordshire)

John Taylor Free School (Staffordshire)

Shrewsbury School

South East

Tues 30 June

 

Woking High School (Surrey)

Heston Community School (Middlesex)

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (Sussex)

Langley Park School for Boys (Kent)

Valley End CC

Hitchin Boys School (Hertfordshire)

The Bishop Stortford High School (Hertfordshire)

Westcliff High School for Boys (Essex)

Shenfield High School (Essex)

Haileybury School

Weds 1 July

 

Tiffin School (Surrey)

Queen Elizabeth Barnet (Middlesex)

Midhurst Rother College (Sussex)

Skinners' School (Kent)

Caterham School

Thurs 2 July

 

Wymondham College (Norfolk)

Flegg High (Norfolk)

Thurston/East Bergholt (Suffolk)

Cambourne Village College (Cambridgeshire)

Bury St Edmunds CC

South West

Mon 29 June

 

Wheatley Park School (Oxfordshire)

Wood Green School (Oxfordshire)

Dr Challoner's Grammar School (Bucks)

John Hampden Grammar School (Bucks)

St Edward's School (Oxford)

Tues 30 June

Torquay Boys’ Grammar School (Devon)

Colyton Grammar School (Devon)

Penrice Academy (Cornwall)

Penryn College (Cornwall)

Cornwood CC (Devon)

Hounsdown School (Hampshire)

Calthorpe Park (Hampshire)

Reading School/Langley Grammar (Berkshire)

The Island Free School (Isle of Wight)

Wellington Sports Ground

Weds 1 July

Poole Grammar School (Dorset)

Bishop Wordsworth's C of E Grammar School (Wiltshire)

Beechen Cliff (Somerset)

Cardiff High School (South Wales)

Sherbourne School - Dorset


Girls’ Competition

Region

Date

Qualifier 1

Qualifier 2

Qualifier 3

Qualifier 4

Venue

North

Tues 30 June

The King Edward VI School, Morpeth (Northumberland)

Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham (Northumberland)

St Leonard's Catholic School (Durham)

Easington Academy (Durham)

Yarm School

Weds 1 July

Ribblesdale High School (Lancashire)

Lancaster Girls Grammar School (Lancashire)

Cockermouth School (Cumbria)

Bye

AKS Lytham

Thurs 2 July

Macmillan Academy/Ripon Grammar School (Yorkshire North)

Allerton High School (Yorkshire North)

Mercia School (Yorkshire South)

Penistone Grammar/ Holmfirth (Yorkshire North)

GSAL - Leeds

Fri 3 July

Altrincham Grammar School for Girls (Cheshire)

Wilmslow High (Cheshire)

Alun School (North Wales)

Sullivan Upper School (Northern Ireland)

Cheadle Hulme School

 

Central

Weds 1st July

TBC - Shropshire 

KES VI Camp Hill School for Girls  (Warwickshire)

John Taylor High School (Staffordshire)

 

St Joseph's College (Staffordshire)

Oakham School

Thurs 2 July

Rushey Mead Academy (Leicestershire)

East Leake Academy (Nottinghamshire)

Toot Hill School (Nottinghamshire)

Ecclesbourne School (Derbyshire)

Kimbolton School

TBC - Northamptonshire

Kesteven and Grantham Girls' School (Lincolnshire)

TBC - Bedfordshire

The Kings (Cathedral) School, Peterborough (Huntingdonshire)

Kimbolton School

Old Swinford Hospital (Worcestershire) 

Lady Hawkins School (Herefordshire)

Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr (South Wales)

Katharine Lady Berekley's (Gloucestershire)

Kings Worcester

South East

Mon 29 June

The Tiffin Girls School (Surrey)

Grey Coat Hospital School (Middlesex)

Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (Sussex)

Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar (Kent)

Tonbridge (Kent)

Weds 1 July

Wallington High School for Girls (Surrey)

Grey Court School (Middlesex)

Downlands Community School (Sussex)

Tonbridge Grammar School (Kent)

Tormead

Chelmsford County High School for Girls (Essex)

Coopers Company and Coborn School (Essex)

St George's School (Hertfordshire)

Ashlyns School (Hertfordshire)

Haileybury School

 

Fri 3 July

Wymondham College (Norfolk)

Reepham High (Norfolk)

King Edward VI School (Suffolk)

Cambourne Village College (Cambridgeshire)

Bury St Edmunds CC

South West

Mon 29 June

Churchill Academy (Somerset)

Bournemouth School for Girls (Dorset)

Malmesbury School (Wiltshire)

Pate's Grammar School (Gloucestershire)

Kings Bruton

Weds 1 July

Torquay Girls’ Grammar School (Devon)

Queen Elizabeth's School, Crediton (Devon)

Cape Cornwall School (Cornwall)

Cambourne Science and International School (Cornwall)

Cornwood CC (Devon)

Didcot Girls' School (Oxfordshire)

Bartholomew School (Oxfordshire)

Chesham Grammar School (Bucks)

Dr Challoners High School (Bucks)

St Edward's School (Oxford)

Fri 3 July

Bohunt School Liphook (Hampshire)

Priestlands School (Hampshire)

Park House School/Herschel Grammar (Berkshire)

The Island Free School (Isle of Wight)

Wellington Sports Ground

Discounted Kit and Equipment

One of the recurring themes when discussing possible barriers in access to cricket in state schools is the affordability of cricket kit and equipment. We are delighted to have been approached by several notable cricket brands who have offered discounts for all competing schools. The list of organisations includes MCC's own Official Kit Supplier, Gray-Nicolls, who will be supplying match balls for every fixture in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup.

Each brand has freely offered these discounts for competing schools and have received no official designation with MCC or the MCC Foundation through these offers. Please ensure you speak directly to the organisation regarding your transactions.

Gray-NicollsProducts: Assorted kit, as well as items such as stumps, scorebooks and scoreboards. 
Discount: 15% off items in the collection. Discounted items must be purchased via the link below.
How to access: Visit the Gray-Nicolls Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup Collection. Enter the promotion code A_KNIGHTSTOKES26 at the checkout
NewberyProducts: 12 sets of playing kits
Discount: 35% off all items in the collection. Discounted items must be purchased via the link below
How to access: Enter Newbery's exclusive Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup webpage by using the passcode BKSCUP.
Maiden CricketProducts: Bespoke cricket clothing for girls, including playing tops and trousers, or kit bundles covering three sets of pads, gloves and a team bag. A team package combining kit and equipment is also available.
Discount: Submit the form to access your exclusive discount
How to access: Visit the Maiden Cricket webpage and complete the BKSC X Maiden contact form for all details on your discounts for girls' clothing and equipment
Icon SportsProducts: Assorted playing and training kits including personalised caps and shirts.
Discount: Up to 40% off items in the playing kits range
How to access: Browse Icon Sports' Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup kit range and select 'Request a Quote' to enquire about your discounts
Net World SportsProducts: Equipment bundles, including full team kits, protective gear, stumps and fielding equipment
Discount: 20% off all items across Net World's entire Cricket collection
How to access: View Networld's Junior Cricket Equipment page and enter the promotion code MCC20 at the checkout for your discount
V-SportsProducts: A complete starter kit from Hunts County, including full batting gear, keeping gloves and two bats
Price: £700 £475
How to access: See V-Sports' exclusive starter pack. You can also get 10% additional cricket items (not included in the starter kit) with the discount code MCCBKS10
Sharks CricketProducts: Assorted playing and training kit (shirts and trousers) across all sizes
Discount: 10% off all kits
How to access: Visit Sharks Cricket's dedicated Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup webpage and contact Sharks Cricket for a quote
ReeqipYou may also wish to view several re-used cricket kit and equipment at affordable prices via Reeqip. 

Named after two of England's greatest state-educated cricketers, the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup will be run by MCC and the MCC Foundation. The competition aims to inspire young people to take up cricket and to increase opportunities to play the game with friends at school.



Frequently Asked Questions 
All non-fee-paying State Secondary Schools and Grammar Schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland are eligible to enter the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup. A State Secondary School or Grammar School is defined as a “Government-funded school.
All children who attend a state secondary school across the UK and the Republic of Ireland within the below age groups are eligible to take part in the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup. There will be flexibility on age with specific competition rules to be confirmed following consultation with County Cricket Boards (CCBs) and Foundations and other stakeholders. The initial target audience is U15 (school year 10 in England/Wales or equivalent in Scotland/Ireland).
State school hardball cricket has not had the platform of a national competition ever before. The Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup is a brand-new and exciting opportunity for state secondary school hardball cricket to be championed on a national stage, showcasing the immense cricketing talent of state-educated boys and girls. The boys’ and girls’ finals are to take place on the Main Ground at the Lord’s, the iconic Home of Cricket.
The competitions will commence in April 2026, with the first finals staged at Lord’s on Thursday 10 September 2026.
It is the aim of the competition to engage with all counties to run a county competition at U15 age groups for boys and girls to produce a county winner by the end of June 2026. Each county winner will then progress to national knockout rounds (including regional finals, quarter finals and semi-finals) before the school holidays commence in late July. The finals day date is to be confirmed but will likely be held in September 2026.
The initial funding for the competition came through The Black Heart Foundation. The competition is named after the principal sponsor, Barclays, who seek to champion grassroots cricket and support making cricket a game for all.
There can be many barriers to accessing hardball cricket for state schools, this competition seeks to reduce and remove barriers. The MCC Foundation seeks to work with local delivery partners to facilitate arrangements for access to cricket grounds, including independent schools and cricket clubs which have come forward to support the initiative. The MCC Foundation intends to facilitate relationships with local and national cricket kit recycling schemes and other organisations to support schools in overcoming this barrier. As part of longer-term development plans, we will be creating a teacher CPD programme to upskill teachers to deliver hardball cricket.
There will be no entry cost for schools into this competition. Schools may be required to pay an entry fee into their local county competition. There will be a small fund available to support schools to apply to if entering local county competitions as part of the Knight-Stokes Cup would be a barrier.

For any further questions on the competition, please contact Andy Turnbull, MCCF’s Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup Competitions Officer, via andy.turnbull@mccfoundation.org.uk.