Shenley Village have won the ECB Under-13 National Club Championship finals.

The team, which included players from Watford Grammar School for Boys and St Michael's, qualified after winning the Herts Junior League County Championship to join the best four teams out of 1,700 which started out in the competition.

Shenley faced Denby in the semi-final and their opponents opted to bat first.

They started well, reaching 50-2 in 9 overs before being pegged back by Oliver White (3-12 off 4) and Will Poynton (3-15 off 3) to finish on 85-9 from their 20 overs.

The champagne moment of the day came when Graydon Orchard took a brilliant catch.

Other notable performances in the Denby innings were Mitchell Wagstaff’s 33 retired off 34 balls and two very tight bowling spells from Toby Elliott and Zahid Nasser, both of whom ended with figures of 0 for 12 off their respective four overs.

Shenley’s reply got off to a disastrous start that saw them 0-2 off 1.3 overs. But a steady 18 from Max Delyfer, 21 not out from White and a blistering 29 off 14 balls from Elliott saw Shenley safely home and into the final in 14 overs.

Having beaten Denby in the semi-final, the eventual champions took on Dumbleton in the final and they opted to bat first.

Both openers Ryan Kilimister and captain Will Guilderson were particularly impressive, the latter having England’s Jake Ball effusing over his, and indeed Shenley’s Elliott’s, fast bowling potential.

A well-crafted and doggedly determined 30 retired from Delyfer, supported by a crucial 14 runs towards the end from Ben Werter enabled Shenley, who kept losing wickets at vital stages, to limp to 102 all out.

A fired up spell from Elliott, who removed two of Dumbleton and Gloucestershire’s highest scoring county batsmen in two balls, seemed to set Shenley on their way as their opponents were reduced to 34-5 in 7.2 overs.

However, Sam Baines and Archie Bailey looked like they were guiding Dumbleton to victory as they added 36 runs in the next 4 overs.

But a maiden, followed by a double wicket maiden from White put the brakes on before Nasser, also with two wickets in 2 balls, saw Dumbleton bowled out for 81 as Shenley got home by 21 runs.