ST James Montefiore Under-10s cricket team sparkled at the Dick Roberts Memorial Festival to be crowned as champions.

The Ditchling-based boys were unbeaten throughout the week, which saw them play a 30-over game every day culminating in the final on August 24.

On the way to the final St James won three out of their five matches with two abandoned due to rain.

They were cruelly denied by Mother Nature in one game, when they needed just two runs to win from 10 overs with six wickets in hand when the heaven’s opened and the match was abandoned due to rain. St James’s player of the week was Bertie Foreman, who took 12 wickets for just 27 runs and scored a total of 229 runs including a superb 102 not out.

The Under-10s manager Trevor Clifton–Sprigg said: “I was so proud of the boys all week, most of the boys had never played this format before as they usually play pairs cricket at this age, so the potential to be out first ball and having to bowl six legal deliveries per over can be quite daunting.

“Although Bertie Foreman was without doubt our player of the week, I was pleased that it was a team performance with all the boys contributing with bat and ball during the week.”

The final between St James Montefiore and Rottingdean was a tight affair with St James being put into bat and posting a total 113 for 2 off 30 overs with Dillon Olorenshaw making 29.

In reply, Rottingdean were bowled out for 94 in 29 overs with Kit Paine making 42 not out.

The St James Montefiore team: Michael Lea, Henry Clifton-Sprigg, Oliver Vallis, Harry Heath, Dillon Olorenshaw, Kiran Mahapatra, Franklin McMillan, Rio Troak, Bertie Foreman, Johnny Addison, Dylan White and Fabio Ceccarelli.