On Tuesday 12th, Berkshire U13 Girls travelled up to Nottingham to defend their title, kicking off their campaign with a comfortable win against Leamington in their first group game. Zoya was the standout performer with both bat and ball. Berkshire then went on to dominate their remaining fixtures, beating Blackburn and Derby by 11 and 47 runs respectively, securing a place in yet another semi-final. Excellent bowling from Erika and Annaya, along with some big hitting from Zainab, Mehek, and Zara, meant Berkshire Girls were favourites to win the tournament for the second year in a row.
Dudley, also unbeaten in the tournament, stood in the way of a place in the final. Berkshire batted first and posted 76, thanks to Mehek hitting sixes at will. In reply, Dudley were bowled out for 34, confirming Berkshire’s place in the final. Leamington beat Blackburn in the other semi-final, meaning Berkshire’s first opponents of the tournament would be sharing the final stage.
Leamington batted first and scored 67, which proved too much for Berkshire, who finished their innings on 56. This meant Leamington took home the trophy. We would like to take this opportunity to say how proud we are of our girls, who played some excellent cricket throughout the tournament. The group had lots of fun and supported each other both on and off the pitch. We’ll be back next year to try and regain the trophy.
Raabia Akhtar was named Inspiring Coach, testament to the years of hard work she has put into the Girls’ Street team and the passion she has for the game. We would like to congratulate Raabia and thank her for all her hard work, time, and effort that she continues to put in to ensure our girls can play Street Cricket. She has inspired several girls to take up cricket, many of whom now regularly attend our Street sessions in Slough and have been part of our Girls’ teams that have won the National competition and finished as runners-up.
Berkshire Young Adults – National Champions
Berkshire Young Adults won their National Competition, finishing unbeaten and lifting the trophy. Led by Jang and Hamza, who had witnessed their boys lose in the final five years in a row, the team found a way to win every game this time around, restricting Nechells to just 8 runs in one of their group games.
After a shaky start, Berkshire beat East London by 20 runs in the semi-final despite scoring just 14 runs off their first two overs. Every player stepped up when required, playing for each other to achieve their goal.
The final saw Berkshire bat first against Preston, with clean ball-striking from Huraira Arif, captain Humza Ishaq, and Hamzah Afzaal helping them post 71 runs. Ayaan Jamal and Abdul Sammad, who had bowled fantastically throughout the tournament, set the tone by conceding only 10 runs off their two overs. The remaining bowlers ensured Preston would not inflict Berkshire’s sixth consecutive loss in a Young Adult final. Hamza Arif finished the innings in style, sending stumps flying with his final delivery, with Preston finishing on 32 runs. Coaches Jang and Hamza Ahmed were ecstatic with the team’s performance throughout the tournament.
The team spirit and skills showcased have made us all very proud. Congratulations to Berkshire Young Adults, Jang, and Hamza, who have coached at Street sessions for several years. We look forward to returning to the Nationals in 2026 as defending champions!
Berkshire (Slough) U12s Crowned National Street Cricket Champions!
Our Berkshire (Slough) Under-12s produced a stunning performance to win the Chance to Shine National Street Tournament at Nottingham University. Led brilliantly by Humza and Uzair, the team showed skill, resilience, and teamwork throughout the competition.
After four group games – winning three – the boys stormed into the semi-finals, where they set Portsmouth a huge target of 88 from 5 overs and then bowled superbly to restrict them to just 35.
The final saw a rematch against Blackburn, the only team to beat us in the group stage. Batting first, we posted 45 runs, with superb fielding from Dawud and Ali keeping Blackburn in check. The game came down to the last ball – Blackburn needed 4 to win but could only manage 3, resulting in a thrilling tie and a super over.
Bowling first, we held Blackburn to 10 runs from their 4 balls. Under pressure, the young Blackburn bowler faltered with two no-balls, allowing us to seal the victory with 2 balls to spare.
Ali was named Player of the Day for his all-round brilliance, but every player contributed to an unforgettable triumph. Congratulations to the whole squad on becoming National Champions – a huge achievement and a proud moment for Berkshire Street Cricket!
