Zahid, a pupil at Haberdashers Boys School in class 9M, has had a successful cricketing summer with his Shenley Village team winning the ECB Under-13 National Club Championship finals. This is a remarkable and unique achievement as no other team in Hertfordshire at any level have won a National trophy.
The team qualified for the National finals after winning the Herts Junior League County Championship to join the best four teams out of the 1,700 teams across 39 counties which started out in the competition this year.
Having won their own Hertfordshire Junior League County Championship, then going on to knock out the County Champions of Suffolk, (Mildenhall CC), Surrey, (Royal Ascot CC), and perennial Middlesex Champions, (Eastcote CC), in the London and South-East Regional Finals 10 days earlier, Hertfordshire’s Shenley Village CC headed to Rugby School on Tuesday 15th August for the ECB’s U13 National Club Championship Finals day played at 20 overs per side.
The semi-final draw paired Shenley Village with Derbyshire and the North of England Regional Champions, Denby CC, whilst the Gloucestershire and South and West Regional Champions, Dumbleton CC drawn to play the Bedfordshire and Midlands Regional Champions, Bedford CC.
Denby, who boasted 6 County players in their ranks, won the toss and decided to bat first. They started well reaching 50 for 2 in 9 overs before being pegged back to finish on 85 for 9 from their 20 overs, with Zahid taking 2 early wickets at a crucial stage of the match. Shenley’s reply got off to a disastrous start that saw them 0 for 2 off 1.3 overs but steady batting and a blistering spell of 29 runs off 14 balls saw Shenley safely home and into the final with 6 overs to spare.
The other semi-final saw Gloucestershire’s Dumbleton CC bowled out by Bedford CC 74, only for Dumbleton to then bowl Bedford out for 58, thereby setting up an all-southern final.
Shenley won the toss and decided to bat. Statistically, Dumbleton have one of the best bowling attacks in the country, rarely having conceded more than 60 runs in the T20 format of the game all season. A well-crafted and doggedly determined batting performance from Shenley’s boys who kept losing wickets at vital stages, managed to get 102 all-out.
A very fired up spell from the opening bowlers, seemed to set Shenley on their way as Dumbleton were reduced to 34 for 5 in 7.2 overs. However, some gritty and sensational stroke play added another 36 to the Dumbleton runs in the next 4 overs. But a maiden, followed by a double wicket maiden from put the brakes on before Zahid Nasser took two wickets in 2 balls which saw Dumbleton bowled out for 81, Shenley getting home by 21 runs.
England’s Jake Ball, (who doubled up as drinks carrier in the final), presented the medals to four very tired, but very proud teams who had beaten off more than 1700 other teams and handed over the trophy to Shenley Village, crowned ECB U13 National Champions 2017.
| ECB U13 National Club Championship Roll of Honour | |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Shenley Village – Hertfordshire |
| 2016 | Broadstairs – Kent |
| 2015 | Guildford – Surrey |
| 2014 | Old Northamptonians – Northamptonshire |
| 2013 | Eastcote – Middlesex |
| 2012 | St Cross Symondians – Hampshire |
| 2011 | High Wycombe – Buckinghamshire |
| 2010 | Newport – Wales |
| 2009 | Wolverhampton – Staffordshire |
| 2008 | North Middlesex – Middlesex |
| 2007 | Bath – Somerset |
| 2006 | Harrow St Mary’s – Middlesex |
| 2005 | Newport – Wales |
| 2004 | Leamington – Warwickshire |
| 2003 | Basingstoke & N.Hants – Hampshire |
| 2002 | Kibworth – Leicestershire |
| 2001 | Bessborough – Middlesex |
| 2000 | Shrewsbury – Shropshire |
References
http://www.hertscricket.org/news/shenley-village-u13—crowned-ecb-national-club-ch-20046/
http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/sport/15494576.National_glory_for_Shenley_Village_youngsters/
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