CRICKETERS from Dane Ghyll and Victoria Academy were Kwik off the mark as they took top spot at two festivals.

Dane Ghyll came out on top in the primary schools competition at Barrow CC’s Ernest Pass – delayed by rain, but a great success when it went ahead.

They will be joined in the Cumbria finals by Victoria, who emerged victorious from the festival at Furness CC, where Manchester City Women’s Super League footballer Georgia Stanway – herself a cricketer as a youngster – was among those cheering the schools on.

Both events saw teams from across the borough taking part, with more than 150 children from 15 schools on the pitch at Furness’s Oxford Street home.

That event saw Victoria overcome Holy Family in the final by final runs – in a format where all teams start with 200 on the board and accrue runs in the normal manner but have them knocked off every time they lose a wicket.

Both sides, made up of boys and girls, had come through tight semi-finals – Victoria against St Paul’s and Holy Family over Cambridge Primary – as their five pars of batters battled hard to put runs on the board.

At Barrow CC, Dane Ghyll defeated a strong Yarlside team by five runs in a superb final, with the players showing off strong batting, bowling and fielding skills in the late spring sunshine.

Cumbria Cricket Limited thanked Furness Academy activators Josh Shaw and Cameron Baker for their help in running the event at Furness CC.