The Newbridge Nitros U19’s cricket team has successfully batted its way to the final of the ECB U19 club T20 tournament after bowling over their competitors.
The undefeated team and will now face Bridgend, Ynystawe and Pwllheli in a nail-biting final at The SSE SWALEC in Cardiff this weekend.
Ben Wellington, Captain of the Newbridge Nitro’s said “I’m so proud of the whole team and the achievements we have made this year.
“We’re a pretty small club but everyone, both on and off the field has clubbed together and worked really hard to help us reach our goal of making the final.
“It’s been great to have so many new faces join our U19’s team this year and have such strong support from the local community. We’ve drawn in some good crowds this year which has not only been really uplifting but has also helped with the teams overall confidence.
“We’ve had some fantastic moments this year particularly in our last group game against Abergavenny where we needed a win to qualify and two lads hit some big sixes, making it look relatively easy for us in what was in reality a very tight game.
“At the weekend we’re aiming to work hard in the field and then express ourselves with the bat, which has been our style all season. It will just be important to us all to relax and enjoy the experience.”
Mark Frost, Community Development Manager for Cricket Wales and Glamorgan CCC said, “We’re really looking forward to hosting our first and what is expected to be a very exciting U19’s T20 final this weekend.
“With double the number of teams entering this season compared to the inaugural year in 2015, the tournament is getting a fantastic response and is being successful in retaining players at clubs playing cricket. After making the bridge from junior cricket into the U19s competition, we hope that many of these young people will continue to play and develop their talents to keep playing cricket in future.”
The SSE SWALEC, which is hosting the final on Sunday 11 September, is a major supporter of the Under 19’s tournament by supplying financial assistance to teams as part of its Cricket Development Fund. The fund was developed to reward grass roots cricket clubs across Wales by providing £10,000 to contribute to equipment, kit and upgrade facilities.
The initiative was launched by SSE in association with Cricket Wales and Glamorgan County Cricket Club with the aim of encouraging active participation in the recreational game in Wales and to improve the overall experience of playing cricket at grass roots level.