YELVERTON Cricket Club were hosts to a U9s District Cricket Festival on Sunday. Teams from the North, East, South and West played 20-over pairs matches in the morning and afternoon.

This year it is the first time that a team has represented the West at the U9 age group and the boys have had only had a handful of training sessions under coach Paul Farnham to prepare for the matches.

In the first match The West were paired against The North. Fielding first, the West restricted the North to 276, bowling only 13 wides (very good at this age level) and keeper Harry Ross remarkably conceding only 2 byes. The West batted superbly, losing only 3 wickets and comfortably passed the North's total (top scorer was Ralph Lopes — 17 runs for 1 wicket).

In the final, The West faced The East and fielded first. Despite an early onslaught the team again bowled and fielded superbly, bowling only 8 wides this time and conceding just 8 byes with Matthew Petherbridge taking 3 wickets as The East finished on 299.

In reply, The West got off to a wonderful start and with 10 overs left required only 42 runs to win. However, a flurry of wickets near the end saw their chances of winning come to an end as The East came out winners (top scorer for The West was Wilf Hadow —26 runs for 1 wicket).

The West's player of the matches went to Matthew Petherbridge.

Pictured are Ralph Lopes, Wilf Hadow, Josh Brain, Sam Brain, Daniel Farnham (all Yelverton Bohemians CC), Will Partington and George White (Kelly College), James Casey (Plymouth CC), Matthew Petherbridge (Cornwood CC) Harry Ross (Ivybridge CC).