Worcestershire Academy player Jack Haynes played a major role with the bat as the Midlands completed a Super Fours double by winning the T20 competition at Loughborough.
Haynes and Ben Claydon of Northamptonshire put on 147 inside 18 overs in the final as the Midlands romped to a nine wicket win over the South West with seven balls to spare.
Haynes hit 79 from 59 balls with three sixes and 10 fours before he was dismissed with just seven required for victory and Claydon finished unbeaten on 57 in reply to the South West’s 153-6.
Victory enabled the Midlands to follow up their success in the 50 over competition in emphatic style and they boasted a 100 per cent record throughout the week.
Haynes and County team-mates Adam Finch and Zain Ul-Hassan all played their part for the Midlands throughout the four days of action.
It was a proud occasion for Worcestershire Academy coach Elliot Wilson who coached the Midlands side throughout the week.
He said: “We couldn’t have asked for more from the lads, and they’ve really deserved their success.
“It’s my first time coaching a team here and I’ve been really impressed, both by the organisation of the event and the quality of the cricket.
“And wearing my Worcestershire hat, it was great to see our lads all making contributions to the Midlands team success.”
Wilson was assisted by Mal Loye, the former Northamptonshire, Lancashire and England batsman, who is now Derbyshire’s development coach.
Earlier in the day, the Midlands had defeated the North by 36 runs in the semi-final, scoring 186-7 with Ul-Hassan chipping in with 16 and Haynes nine not out after batting at seven and eight.
Finch then picked up one wicket for 23 as the North were restricted to 150-8.
Finch was presented with the T20 trophy by England Under-19 selector David Graveney, while Claydon received the 50-over trophy after captaining the Midlands at the start of the week.
Ed Fluck, an opening batsman from Alderley Edge in Cheshire who is in the Lancashire Academy, was named Player of the Week after scoring centuries in two of the North’s three 50-over matches.
Graveney said: “At the start of the week I challenged all the players to put their hands up and impress the Young Lions selectors, with places up for grabs before we select our squads for this winter which ends with the ICC Under-19 World Cup.
“It’s been exciting to see so many of them do that.”
Mo Bobat, the ECB’s player identification lead, said: “This is the fifth year of the Super-4s, and again it’s served its purpose of giving us the chance to see the best playing the best at this important age group.
“The games have been played on excellent pitches at Loughborough, and the tournament has again benefited from the involvement of county academy directors and coaches – as well as the presence of England lead coaches like Andy Flower and Mark Ramprakash, plus county scouts and even an England selector.”
