Cricket in the ‘Know’

PRIMARY schools gathered for the 25th anniversary of the Norman Heap Trophy at Greenfield Cricket Club — and it was Knowsley who carried off the silverware.

They held their nerve in a bowl-out to beat St Mary’s, Greenfield, in the final.

Six schoools, plus the Greenfield club’s under-11s girls team, locked horns in the annual tournament, which first took place in 1990.

In that time more than 1,500 children have played over 200 games of cricket for their schools.

Many of them have gone on to play club cricket and at least one has gone on to play at county and international level.

It was 1993 when Kyle Hogg turned out for St Anne's Lydgate, who unsurprisingly were winners that year.

Hogg later represented England under-19s and enjoyed a fine career at Lancashire until his retirement from injury last year.

Knowsley have enjoyed previous success at the event. Other schools on the honours board include Greenfield Primary school, Hey-with-Zion, Roundthorn and St Chad's Uppermill.

In 1992, club stalwart, Norman Heap presented a shield to be awarded to the winner each year and since that time the festival has borne Norman’s name, a fitting way for one of cricket’s true gentlemen to be remembered.

Norman died in 1996 and the festival has been a fixture in the club’s junior section calendar ever since.

In recent years, to reflect the growth of women’s and girls cricket, the rules have required schools to include girls in their squad.

The success of this is borne out by Greenfield CC now boasting their own girls team playing in festivals throughout the area.

This year’s entry entry list also included Greenfield Primary, Friezland, St Anne’s Lydgate and St Chad’s Uppermill.

For many years the Norman Heap Trophy was sponsored by the late Bob Coen, of JMR Fabrications NW Ltd.

This season’s festival was jointly-sponsored by Greenfield-based Waters Edge Ceramics and the Knowles family of Greenfield.