CRICKETERS from schools from across the area are celebrating success at local, regional and national level.

Budding Kevin Pietersens from Bunbury Aldersey Primary School, the King’s School, Chester, and Christleton High School have been showing off their skills to winning effect.

Bunbury Aldersey were crowned the Asda Kwik Cricket North West champions after a string of first-class displays.

That earned the youngsters an exclusive training session with former New Zealand international Lou Vincent, who now plays for Nantwich in the Cheshire County League, and a place in the 16-team national final at Derbyshire CCC.

The Asda Kwik Cricket competition involves 130,000 children from 12,000 primary school children from across the UK, so to reach the final was a superb achievement.

But Bunbury Aldersey were not finished there, beating South East winners Greenway Primary School and North East A winners Rawdon St Peter’s Primary School and only missing out on a place in the semi-finals after losing to East Midlands winner and eventual champions Bispham Drive Junior School.

The King’s School, meanwhile, are basking in the glory of winning all three county finals which their teams contested.

The school’s under 14s side got a week to remember off to a flying start when they beat Sandbach High School by more than 40 runs. The U12s then bowled and fielded superbly to win a closely-fought match at the King’s School, Macclesfield by 24 runs, before the U15s, under the inspired leadership of Martin Goff, saw off Sandbach by just seven runs to complete the hat-trick.

King’s School, Chester, director of sport, Richard Lunn, said: “To win one county final is difficult enough, but to gain a hat-trick of victories is a wonderful achievement of which our players and cricket coach, Nigel Walker, should be very proud.”

Also with reason to cheer are Christleton High’s U14s team.

The aces overcame Bishop Heber High School and then Tarporley High School to win the Chester & District Cup at Chester Boughton Hall CC.

Christleton’s director of sport, Magnus Alford, said: “The boys were brilliantly behaved and it was a great celebration of cricket.”