On Tuesday 9 June 2015, I and other members of the Inclusive Cricket Team from Alexandra Park School went to represent Haringey at Lord's in the London Youth Games Cricket Finals. Last year we came second in the competition so we had a reputation to uphold. This year, I wasn’t playing due to injury but I was given the role of team reporter. Our team was: Matt, Alfie, Eddie, Stanley, Jacob, Yousef, Benjy, Rocky, Munaim and me, Nicholas. This was certainly a strong team.
When we got there we set up base and started warming up. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. Also in our group was Cranford Community School, Ark Academy and Harris Academy. In our first game against Harris Academy the score was 262-203. It proved to be a close game but our quality shone through. Then in our second game we won 248-205. This proved to be a comfortable game where we again played well. In our last game we won 239-197. This was another great performance and meant that we were in with a great chance of winning. Then came the semi-final where we were against Platonos College. After a shaky start we recovered to win and progress to the final where we played Chingford Foundation School. This was a test of our character but we proved ourselves to be better on the day. The scores were 229-212.
After last year’s disappointment we showed grit and determination. The fact that we won and we were able to go again after last year proves that we have character and resilience. Eddie proved to be an excellent addition to the team as he got three wickets and three stumpings. Another player who did well was Stanley who got three wickets despite some erratic batting in the semi-final. Youcef also got a wicket off the wall.
This was a unique opportunity for the team and one that we all thoroughly enjoyed. The organisers were really welcoming and congratulated us on our victory. Hopefully we can compete again next year and do the double. This was a fantastic day out and I would do anything for it to happen again. Thank you to Mr Amooty for taking us. Also thank you to Lords for having us.
