Prestfelde have been crowned the national Under 13s David English Bunbury Cup champions after victory against Millfield School Prep in the final.
A fine all-round performance from man-of-the-match Will Jenkins helped the team to an ultimately comfortable 64-run victory against a school which has been national champions six times in the last 20 years.
Prestfelde are only the second Shropshire side to win the competition – following in the footsteps of Birchfield School who beat Millfield in the 2001 final at Headingley.
Skipper Jack Home won the toss at Oakham School in Rutland and opted to bat first and was rewarded by a brilliant innings from Jenkins who hit 96 off 98 balls to help his side to 162-6 off their 35 overs.
The above-par total was helped by a 72-run third wicket partnership between Jenkins and Gabe Downes (23).
In the reply, Millfield soon found themselves in trouble at 21-4 and then 43-5 before a sixth wicket partnership of 45 brought about a partial recovery.
But after the sixth wicket fell at 79, the last four wickets added only 21 more runs as Millfield were dismissed for exactly 100 in the 23rd over.
Home took 2-13, Jenkins 3-10 and Harrison Vaughan 2-12 to give Prestfelde a memorable victory with the trophy and medals presented by philanthropist and cricket fanatic David English himself.After winning the Shropshire title earlier this season, Prestfelde qualified for the national final by beating Northampton School, Bromsgrove School, Trent College and Cheadle Hulme to qualify for the final.
Notable performances along the way saw Jack Home score an unbeaten century and 86 in the quarter-final and semi-final.
Pictured back from left: William Daly, William Jenkins, Sion Jarman, Oliver Parton, Hugo Emms, Gabe Downes, Prestfelde Director of Sport Rob Newey.
Front: Thomas Daly, Sam Hall, Jack Home, David English, Oliver Dunn, Toby Jagger, Harrison Vaughan
Picture courtesy of www.photosnlimited.org.uk
The next day the Under 11s took part in their final and finished a creditable eighth.