EAGLEY Junior School followed up their first ever Bolton schools kwik cricket title with a stunning success in the Lancashire County Cup final.

A squad of nine Year 6 pupils swept the board on finals day at Northern Cricket Club in Crosby, winning all six of their matches.

They saw off competition from 32 other schools from across the North West, including Greater Manchester and Merseyside, beating Clarksfield Primary from Oldham in the last four and Birchfield Primary from Manchester in the final.

"It was a great team effort all round," said Chris Foley, the school's PE co-ordinator.

"The game is designed to give every member of the team an equal chance to bat, bowl and field.

"And I think Eagley's strength in depth gave them the edge on the day."

Kwik cricket is an eight-a-side game, open to boys and girls, played with plastic bats and wickets using a softer ball.

The wicket is 16 yards long, shorter than a regulation cricket pitch, and the field has shorter boundaries.

Batsmen go out in pairs and have two overs each between them, losing five points every time they are caught or bowled, rather than having to walk back to the pavilion.

All fielders have to bowl one over each and the side with the most runs, as in normal cricket, is the winner.

"Kwik cricket is a great introduction to the sport for youngsters," said Mr Foley.

"It is designed to take away the fear factor, so the youngsters are not scared of being hit with a hard ball, and the bats are lighter.

"The idea is to help primary school children get into cricket and hopefully they then decide to take it further."

Eagley Juniors had competed in the town competition for a number of years but never managed to win it before.

Mr Foley added: "We have had some really talented young cricketers in our team in the past - Daisy Mullen was the star of last year's side and went on to play for Bradshaw Cricket Club and is now turning out for Lancashire.

"But our Year 6 group this year just seems to have been blessed with some very talented young boys.

"They finished runners-up to Bolton School in the town football championships and placed highly in the cross country competition.

"But a lot of them play cricket for Eagley and Bradshaw, and Cian Dickinson is captain of the town's Under-11s sides and also represents the county."