Perfect team's double delight in the regional championships
A youth cricket team has two reasons to celebrate after claiming an impressive double at regional softball cricket finals.
Himley Cricket Club had two under-nine teams battle their way to the last stage of the North Worcestershire Softball Championships.
And both of them returned home from Sunday's event with silverware after the A team came first and the B team came third.
The softball competition started at the beginning of May with 20 teams entering at the group stages.
Teams were placed into groups of five with the four qualifying group winners then meeting in the final.
Himley A and B squared off against opponents from Enville CC and Ombersley CC for the title.
Both sides had shown tremendous form to reach the finals, going unbeaten, and the Stourbridge Road outfit's A team delivered another dominant display with bat and ball to win the final with an unblemished record of three wins from three matches.
The B team meanwhile won one of their three matches to ensure the club had two sides on the podium at the end of the day.
Himley's delighted junior chairman Guy Whittaker praised the efforts of both teams following their fine performances in a keenly-contested final tournament, and was very impressed that both sides finished in the top three.
He said: "Himley A won all three matches and the reserve team won one game meaning that out of the original twenty teams that were entered we finished first and third. It is a remarkable achievement."
The A team have won 15 matches out of 15 in the competition so far while the B team are just behind them with 13 wins from 15 games.
Both teams will have the chance to add to their burgeoning respective trophy collections in the coming months as their latest success has ensured their qualification for the county finals.
Whittaker said the date for the next stage of the competition had yet to be confirmed but they were expected to take place in either August or September.
The venue has also yet to be confirmed but Whittaker said New Road, which is the home of County Championship side Worcestershire, has been rumoured as a possible location.
