Lancashire Cricket Foundation teams made their inaugural appearances in the Inter League programme.
On Tuesday 23 July 2024, history was made as a squad of players from our community-based programmes took to the field against an excellent GMCL U12s Inter League side.
The squad has been put together as part of the Pathway For All and included participants from Chance to Shine Street, MCCF Hubs, Lord Taverners Wicketz and the ACE programme.
The Inter League games offer talented young cricketers the opportunity to play at representative level in hardball cricket.
The first fixture at Royton CC was played in glorious sunshine with the home side posting 182 for 8 from their 40 overs. In reply, Lancashire Cricket Foundation U12s posted a respectable 101 all out in 36.2 overs.
The GMCL made an excellent start despite good opening spells from Lucien Johnson (ACE) and Zain Naveed (Chance to Shine Street).
Harris Rizwan (Chance to Shine Street) took the first wickets with his left-arm spin and more followed after drinks.
Wicketkeeper Zeki Mostafa (ACE) was tidy throughout behind the stumps and kept the Urban side on their toes in the field with his enthusiasm.
With the bat Nial Masiwi (ACE) was retired not out after laying a great platform alongside Ummer Hussain (Chance to Shine Street). The score moved onto 74 for 1 for with James Gutteridge (MCC Foundation) playing smartly. With the squad keen to share opportunities and the GMLC bowling well wickets tumbled quickly in the latter overs with LCF reaching three figures.
The competitive, but well natured fixture, has reinforced the squad’s entry into a strong competition. It is a fine endorsement of the community-based programmes across Lancashire and the players involved will now be able to take the confidence built in the next fixtures.
Jen Barden Executive Director of Lancashire Cricket Foundation commented: "It's been fantastic to be able to give these players the opportunities they potentially wouldn't have had, to be able to compete with and against their peers and to be afforded the same opportunities to access the next steps on their cricketing journey.
The support received for the programme so far has been amazing, with provision of new playing kit for them they have felt part of something bigger and we can't wait to see this programme develop. I hope that in future years we can offer this to more age groups making the next step on the pathway as accessible as we can".
As well as Inter League fixtures, the squads will play friendlies against other established rep sides. Each player has been nominated from their community programmes and 55 players are now registered to take part in games this summer.
On Thursday LCF U14s get their first opportunity of an Inter League game with a fixture at Whalley Cricket Club against the North West Cricket Club U14s.
A special thanks to Lancashire Cricket for their generous donation of kits from surplus stock. Your support is deeply appreciated and will make a significant impact on our community programmes.