Year 9 league winners William Ellis celebrate with cup champtions, South Camden Commuity School

Bowled over with cup success

Youngsters beat the weather as amateur cricket league suffers

CRICKET fans from across Camden and Islington got the better of the weather when they turned out for the Federation Year 9 Cricket Championships at Parliament Hill Fields.
Teams from Acland Burghley, Hampstead, William Ellis and South Camden Community School went head-to-head in testing six over matches as they battled it out for top honours.
Organised by senior PE teacher at William Ellis, James Rourke, the competition was aimed at giving secondary school teams the chance to play competitive cricket on a more regular basis.
The tournament proved a huge success, with youngsters from William Ellis School in Highgate Road powering their way to victory following a thrilling afternoon of round robin matches.
There was also delight for South Camden Community School in Somers Town who bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on the league title with a hard fought win in the Federation Year 9 Cricket Cup.
Hampstead School have also earned a place on the winners’ podium after they were crowned champions in the opening Year 10 and 11 Federation Cricket Tournament at Parliament Hill Fields.
The triumphant eight-a-side team beat sides from William Ellis and South Camden to win the trophy and get their cricket season off to a flying start.
Hampstead team captain, William Davis (pictured left in inset), was full of smiles when he was presented with the winning trophy by Federation Chair, Paul Godfrey.
Overall the tournaments have been unaffected by the weather, with organisers overcoming the constant downpours that have brought the start of the amateur cricket season to a standstill.
All of Camden and Islington’s top teams in the Middlesex Country Cricket League have been left frustrated after three weeks worth of fixtures across the capital were postponed.
Division Two side North London have had five of their eight fixtures abandoned, while South Hampstead have only managed to play half of their opening games.
Meanwhile Premier Division side Hampstead and Division Three outfit Highgate have both seen three of their opening fixtures cancelled because of the weather.
With teams being forced to settle for a point when matches are postponed, the league tables are heavily effected as teams find themselves trailing the few lucky sides who manage to play their fixtures.
But the problem doesn’t look like going away any time soon, with the forecasted rain expected to cause disruptions again on Saturday ahead of the scheduled games.