The finals of The Lady Taverners Girls' National Outdoor Cricket Competition came to an exciting close last week at Ellesmere College, Shropshire, with Pembroke finishing in an impressive fifth in the under 15 competition.
England women's vice-captain, Jenny Gunn, and cricketer of the year, Katherine Brunt, were on site to cheer on the competing teams, while former England women's captain and president of The Lady Taverners, Rachael Heyhoe Flint, presented the winners' trophies.
Seventy clubs from across the UK competed in a series of five under 13 and under 15 regional heats to reach the national finals. Burton Latimer (Northamptonshire) took overall victory in the under 15 competition, beating off stiff competition from clubs from Durham, Kent, Northamptonshire, Pembrokeshire and Somerset to claim the title, while clubs from Buckinghamshire, Derbyshire, Gwent, Lancashire and Sussex battled it out in the under 13 competition.
The Lady Taverners has sponsored the ECB-run girls' indoor and outdoor cricket competitions since 2003, giving 42,220 girls the opportunity to participate in cricket, many for the first time. The Lady Taverners competitions are the country's only national girls' cricket competitions, providing a vital pathway for the development of grassroots girls' cricket.
Derrin Gill, director of The Lady Taverners, commented: "The Lady Taverners is all about giving young people a sporting chance. Many girls don't get the chance to play competitive cricket, so we are delighted to be able to provide opportunities for girls all across the country. Year on year we have had an increased number of participants and the standard keeps getting better. Congratulations to all the teams who took part and we look forward to another exciting year next year."
The Lady Taverners is part of The Lord's Taverners, the official charity of recreational cricket and one of the UK's leading youth sports and disability charities. The Lord's Taverners is currently celebrating its diamond jubilee and will donate nearly £3 million this year to help give young people a sporting chance.