MCC Foundation Hub teams in action
Cricket Shropshire’s first MCC Foundation squads have made their mark in their first season of competition.
The squads were launched early this year with ten weeks of coaching at a hub run at Shrewsbury School Cricket Centre for Girls (11-16) and Boys (Under 14s).
To be eligible, the youngsters had to be state school educated and not part of the current County Age Group programme.
This Summer has seen the sides competing in a number of games with the Boys taking part in the regional finals at Warrington where they beat Wrexham and Liverpool to qualify for the Northern Finals with a trip to Lord’s as the prize.
They travelled to Wakefield to take on Newcastle in their semi-final on a rain-affected day which saw the game reduced to 16-overs a side.
Batting first, Shropshire made 63 which they came close to defending before seeing the game slip away from them in the last nine balls.
Coach Darrell Corfield said: “We were very much in the game until those final few deliveries when it got away from us.
“The fielding and bowling on the day was the best we have seen from the side and reward for all the hard work everyone has put in since we launched the MCC Foundation hub in January.”
Unfortunately the weather meant the planned 3rd/4th placed play-off game could not go ahead.
The team have also played games against Shrewsbury School and Ellesmere College and are hoping to have some longer format games against other MCC Foundation sides later in the Summer.
Shropshire’s Girls’ team has played a couple of friendlies ahead of their competitive bow against Stoke this Summer where they can on to their regional final.
Again, coaches are also hoping other games can be arranged this Summer.
Darrell said: “Given that this is our first season, the MCC Foundation Hub has been really successful, and I must say for me it has been one of the most rewarding things we do.
“We do run it like a County Age Group squad but make sure there is added fun and inclusion involved. The feedback we have had from parents has been really positive and we hope we can expand on it next year.
“The youngsters involved wouldn’t have had access to this sort of coaching opportunities without the hub, and parents have told me that their children have really benefitted from being involved.”