Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation (MCCF) hosted the girls’ and boys’ finals of its annual National Hub Competition supported by Barclays at Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday 13 September. The event marked the conclusion of a 20-week long competition in which state-educated girls and boys aged 16 and under from 164 sites across the country totalling 5,500 number of young people have been able to compete against one another for a chance to play at the Home of Cricket.
The event did not disappoint, with two exciting U16 finals between the charity’s most talented beneficiaries taking place on the Main Ground. In the Girls’ event, Guildford came out on top against the York Hub by four runs. In the Boys’ final, York beat Leyton by 11 runs.
Both U16 finals took place in succession on the Main Ground in front of a packed-out Pavilion and Grand Stand, while an U14 Boys’ final and Girls’ Invitational XI fixture took place on the Nursery Ground, where Kent West beat Nottingham by 46 runs in the Boys’ final, and in the Girls’ invitational fixture, the players from the South defeated their counterparts from the North by 58 runs.
More than 2,000 spectators were in attendance with thousands more engaging via social media and the live stream on MCCF’s YouTube channel.
Commentators Kevin Hand, Isabelle Duncan and MCCF Ambassador, Georgie Heath were joined by players, Hub Managers, and other guests from the world of cricket throughout the day.
MCC once again pulled out all the stops, providing all four teams with an unforgettable experience matching that of any international match day at Lord’s, including access to the Home and Away Dressing Rooms and lunch served in the Players’ Dining Room.
This year’s U16 and U14 National Hub Competitions were generously supported by Lord’s Principal Partner Barclays. With one of the largest ever donations made to the MCC Foundation, Barclays will help Lord’s with their shared ambition of creating accessible and inclusive cricket for 10,000 young people by 2028.
The National Hub Programme forms the cornerstone of the MCC Foundation’s work in the UK, ensuring that every young cricketer can be empowered to reach their full potential in the game, regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic circumstance.
The Hubs also look to nurture young talent, creating opportunities for promising young cricketers to hone their skills and improve their confidence under the mentorship of the MCC Foundation’s network of coaches.
MCC Chief Executive & Secretary Rob Lawson, MCC President Designate Ed Smith and London Spirit’s Tara Norris presented the medals.
Guildford Girls Hub captain, Freya Edwards, said: “We cut it a bit close but we’re delighted with the win. It’s been brilliant to play at Lord’s and the atmosphere is insane. We’re a new team this year, so we’ve come together from scratch but all got to know each other really well and working great as a team. I would definitely recommend young girls and boys to pick up a bat or ball and give it a try.”
Mick Pickering, York Boys Hub Manager said: ”It’s been a fantastic day at Lord’s with both the boys and girls teams and for me this is the culmination of running the MCCF Hub in York for 12 years – we’ve got to three semi-finals but this is the first final. It’s so important to get state school kids playing cricket and the MCC Foundation Hub programme is critical for this.”
Dr Sarah Fane OBE, Director of MCC Foundation said: “It never ceases to inspire me watching the young players walking out through the Long Room, and onto the hallowed turf. This is what dreams are made of and every one of those players will remember these moments for life. The talent and sportsmanship on display have been thrilling to watch and I am sure we will see some of the players progress to the professional game. I am extremely grateful to my extraordinary team for all their hard work and to MCC for hosting the finals and Barclays for supporting the competition.”
Tom Corbett, Group Head of Sponsorship and Client Experience at Barclays, said: “Huge congratulations to Guildford Girls and York Boys, and all the teams who took part in the fifth MCC Foundation National Hub Programme. We deeply believe that there is no sport without grassroots sport and want to make sure everyone has the chance to get involved. That’s why we’re proud to invest £5m annually in grassroots programmes across the UK, including supporting the MCCF’s ambition to make cricket accessible and inclusive for 10,000 young people – an endeavour that will strengthen further with the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup national schools’ competition in 2026.”
With thanks to the MCC
