Having won the Yorkshire competition earlier this month, Lightcliffe welcomed Oxton CC, the Cheshire winners, in the North of England stage of the competition.

With holidays in full swing, it was a changed look to the side of young Villagers who took to the field but it was still packed with talent and hopes were high in front of a bumper crowd despite the 4pm start at Till Carr Lane.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat and while it was slow going, they steadily built their total with the middle overs proving particularly fruitful and the cause helped by some missed opportunities in the field.

Captain Lucas Arnot’s four overs brought two wickets for just ten runs, while Will Sweeten took 2-21 in his four. An injury to Luca Mullaney brought ice packs to the boundary rope and George Horne to the field as a sub, once appropriate clothing had quickly been found for the U11 & U13 regular.

At the end of the 20, the total was 132 – it felt chaseable but a challenge.

Lightcliffe chose to open with Harry Betts and Harrison Heaton with the aim of getting some runs on the board. But the intention suffered with another injury, this time to Harrison Heaton who fell to the floor after completing a run and had to be helped from the field. No mean feat for someone of Harrison’s stature and he was applauded from the field by both sides.

Will Sweeten replaced him at the crease and set about making a crucial 29 from 33. Harry was dismissed for 11 in the eighth over, and while it took until the 14th for them to get Will’s wicket, the worm showed the rate had fallen behind Oxton’s in the chase.

There was perhaps only one young man who could get us over the line, and that was the captain himself. Yorkshire regular Lucas came out full of intent, as he always does, and his 40 from 36 ably assisted by a brilliant 20 from 23 for keeper Ethan Wood kept Lightcliffe in the game. It was tight – it was always going to be – but achievable.

But hopes disappeared when Lucas was dismissed in the last over with a shot that was needed, could easily on another day have gone for 4, but was caught. Brodie Tait came out for three balls and added three runs, but they had got just a few runs too many and it ultimately saw them across the line.

The U15s Club T20 Cup campaign comes to an end, but going back-to-back as Yorkshire champions is a real triumph. And, watched on by many more younger Villagers who aspire to be out there one day in the future representing the club so well, every member of the teams who have competed over the past few months should be proud of their achievements. We’re certainly proud of them.