Hayes win National Under 13 Chance to Shine tournament

Hayes School took the National Chance to Compete title at the County Ground in Northampton last week.

After winning the Under 13 Kent and Regional competitions, Hayes headed to Northampton to compete against the winners from other English regions: Newent (Gloucestershire), Rainford High (Lancashire) and Washwood Heath (Warwickshire).

England all-rounder Chris Woakes joined Kent and England cricketers Charlotte Edwards and Tammy Beaumont to watch the action and present the trophies.

Talking about the finals, Tammy Beaumont said: “It’s vitally important for girls and boys to experience competition and also getting the chance to play at the same time. There have been some big sixes from some of the girls and I would have been proud to have hit a couple of them!”

Chance to Compete is a secondary school competition aimed at giving school children the opportunity to play competitive cricket. Matches are played in under an hour and all participants play a significant part in the game.

Speaking about the origin of Chance to Compete, Jim Love of Chance to Shine said: “There was a need for a shorter format of the game, a version that could be played within an hour and it fits in with the school curriculum.

"It gives everyone a chance to have a go, everyone bowls an over. The teachers always say what a great format of the game it is and the schools are loving it. Long may it continue!”

Since 2005, Chance to Shine has brought cricket to 2.5 million children in 10,000 schools.