The Saracens Cup Under 11 Hardball Cricket Competition
Finals Day – Oakham School – Wednesday 12th July 2017
Thanks to the hard work of the ESCA volunteers in the Counties and the Regions eight finalists met at Oakham School with glorious Summer weather for Finals Day. Once again Oakham School provided four excellent white wickets and a marvellous venue at which all four matches can be viewed from any position on the ground.
The eight schools in the Final were :
Ashville College ,Harrogate.
Manchester Grammar School.
Prestfelde School, Shrewsbury.
Jesse Gray Primary School, West Bridgford.
Haberdashers Askes Prep School, Elstree.
Summerfields School, Oxford.
Ratcliffe College, Leicester.
Exeter Junior School.
Each School played three matches in their League of four, each League named after former ESCA administrators, Cyril Cooper and Tony Hemingway.
The results in the Cooper League were as follows :
Exeter Junior School [268-3] beat Ashville College [220-6]
Prestfelde School [263-2] beat Ratcliffe College [214-5]
Prestfelde School [247-5] beat Exeter Junior School [229-7]
Ashville College [251-3] beat Ratcliffe College [244-4]
Prestfelde School [295-2] beat Ashville College [263-0]
Exeter Junior School [273-2] beat Ratcliffe College [219-6]
So, the final positions in this League were :
First – Prestfelde, Second – Exeter, Third – Ashville, Fourth – Ratcliffe.
The results in the Hemingway League were as follows :
Manchester G.S. [292-1] beat Jesse Gray Primary [190-10]
Summerfields School [269-5] beat Haberdashers Askes [221-6]
Summerfields School [251-2] beat Manchester G.S. [232-8]
Haberdashers Askes [270-4] beat Jesse Gray Primary [245-6]
Summerfields School [275-1] beat Jesse Gray Primary [223-7]
Manchester G.S. [309-1] beat Haberdashers Askes [227-8]
So, the final positions in this League were :
First – Summerfields, Second – Manchester, Third – Haberdashers Askes, Fourth – Jesse Gray.
The fourth and final round of games saw each school playing against the equivalent placed school in their partner League. The final resuls were as follows :
Prestfelde School [280-1] beat Summerfields School [247-5]
Manchester G.S. [262-2] beat Exeter Junior School [253-2]
Haberdashers Askes [232-5] beat Ashville College [206-8]
Jesse Gray Primary [254-3] beat Ratcliffe College [218-4]
There had been some excellent and enthusiastic cricket throughout the day;
Presentations of certificates and team photographs were made to all eight teams.
Bronze medals were presented to third-placed Manchester Grammar School, silver medals to second-placed Summerfields School, and gold medals to the competition winners, Prestfelde School. Prestfelde also received both the Saracens Trophy and the Hugh Cherry Trophy, presented by ESCA Chairman, Bill Sillett.
The smooth running of this Finals Day is down to the excellent ESCA team, led by General Secretary Ken Lake and his efficient P.A. Angie, Oakham School, the umpires, scorers, physio Emma, photographer Julie, but especially the outstandingly enthusiastic young cricketers.
Thank you all.
David Farmer
July 2017.