Young cricketers at Alwoodley Primary School in Leeds are the Drax Cup champions for the second year running. The mixed team of under 9s boys and girls beat Wickersley Northfield Primary School from Rotherham in the final of the competition to retain the cup.

Alwoodley won by 6 runs, scoring 258 in a tightly-fought match at the Drax Cup  2011 finals held yesterday (Sunday 3 July) at Headingley Carnegie Stadium, the world famous ground in Leeds. For Wickersley, finishing runners-up was also one better than the third place the team achieved in last year’s event.

A play-off for third and fourth place was won by Snaith Primary School, near Goole, who scored 265 runs compared to the 256 of English Martyrs’ RC Primary School from York.

A play-off for third and fourth place was won by Snaith Primary School, near Goole, who scored 265 runs compared to the 256 of English Martyrs’ RC Primary School from York.

The four teams took to the pitch prior to the Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire clash in the Friends Provident Twenty20 Cup, with the players eager to emulate the batting and bowling skills of their idols.

The Drax Cup trophy and medals were presented by Jonny Bairstow, Yorkshire wicketkeeper, together with Melanie Wedgbury from sponsors Drax Power. The finals were the culmination of a 3-month competition which attracted over 200 schools from across Yorkshire and Teesside and involved around 2,000 children.

The Drax Cup, the biggest cricket competition for Under 9s in the country is now in its fifth year and is sponsored by Drax Power Limited and organised by The Yorkshire County Cricket Club in conjunction with the Yorkshire Cricket Board and Yorkshire School’s Cricket Association.