Under 13’s League Championes

Just two years after re-introducing our Youth Policy we have won our first piece of silverware. Well done to all involved. Proud President of KCC Barry Baker takes up the story..........

Tuckers' & Leggy’s prodigies produced a classy display at Radcliffe on Trent CC as they swept away their closest rivals by 8 wickets on Tuesday night (27th July) to clinch the Newark Youth League championship for under 13 year olds.

This was a complete ‘team’ performance from the same squad that won only one match in their debut 2009 season. A year on and the experience and maturity was there for all to see and great tribute must be paid to Simon, Chris, Paul Newell and a great bunch of very supportive parents – it was a pleasure for me to witness and share their joy!

Radcliffe, although not losing a wicket early on, were contained by sustained spells of good, accurate bowling by the pacemen, Dominic Steiner and Isaac Brown, and then the steady length of medium pacers Zachary Tudor and Greg Mills, before Mills made a double breakthrough with Steiner collecting two smart catches in the covers. Mills struck again to claim 3 wickets for 7 runs off his 3 overs.

Ben Healey and Joe Nice came on for the last six overs with the hosts under pressure to increase the scoring rate. The pace of Healey troubled the batsmen and they tried to take chances against the flight and spin of Nice but Pete Hennessy was sharp behind the stumps and the throwing in from the field was fast and accurate and when Brown clung on to a skyer out on the deep long on boundary Radcliffe were struggling. Nice claimed 2 wickets for 6 runs off his 3 overs and Radcliffe finished on 71 for 6 from their 18 overs.

Paul not only in charge of the scorebook, was fervently texting updates every over to Tuckers, trying to relax with Alex in Paris celebrating their first wedding anniversary.

Skipper Harry Normington, leading from the front, opened up with the in form Joe Nice, and Nice was quickly into his stride with two crunching square drives backward of point for boundaries, only to perish on 10, victim of Leggy’s dreaded finger for a caught behind, a decision later questioned by Nice who thought the ball had just brushed his pads.

Tom Newell joined Normington and with some very sensible batting, the pair played straight to the good balls and scored off the loose deliveries for a match winning partnership of 56 and when Healey came to the wicket only two runs were needed for an 8 wicket victory off just 9 of the allotted 18 overs. Newell 32 not out and Healey 1 not out.

A first League championship win at this level in the history of the Club and they lost only one match in this competition all season, to Flintham CC.

Barry Baker
KCC President

The KCC stars of the current (and future!)

Back row, left to right, Chris Legge (Coach), Ben Healey, Tom Newell, Joe Nice, Harry Normington, Dominic Steiner, Isaac Brown & Paul Newell (Under 12s Manager).

Front row…Greg Mills, Peter Hennessy, Harry Stolworthy, Zachary Tudor, Josh Coulthard.

Missing from the photo, Simon Tuckwell (Juniors Manager) and players who appeared in other League matches, Jack Cairns, MacKenzie Shepherd, Tom Blacklock & Tom Rock.