BOLTON School Under-14s are celebrating after being crowned Lancashire Cup champions.

They take on Manchester Grammar School (MGS) in the Lancashire Cup Final, a replay of two years previous when the teams met as U12 finalists.

On that occasion, Bolton were the victors, yet with Manchester Grammar School winning another fixture earlier this season, it would be fair to say that they were favourites this time around.

Manchester won the toss and decided to bat, hoping to post a big score and allow their strong bowling attack to pressure the Bolton batsmen into submission.

However the early pace of Kurtis Watson and Josh Bowers set the tone and restricted the MGS openers well, Watson taking the first wicket in the sixth over and Bowers the second leaving the Manchester side 38-2 from their first 10 overs.

Tjase Pindoria's spin and Salisbury and McGivern's unerring accuracy yielding more wickets to make it 77-4 after 25 overs.

Further wickets fell as Manchester finished on 150 after their 40 overs.

The opening pair of Bowers and Joseph Ball started extremely well, Bowers the more aggressive to Ball's watchfulness, racing to 54-0 from six overs.

At which point Ball took the initiative and the two took the game well away from MGS, Bowers surviving being caught in the deep off a no-ball, going to 80 without loss from 10 overs, bringing the 100 up after 13.

The only thing to stop the Bolton march was the weather, as black clouds loomed and rain droplets began to fall.

There was no stopping Ball, first to his half century, soon joined by Bowers to put them 119 after 14 overs.

With five more runs needed, Bowers hit out, a fine knock of 65.

Enter Ronak Hemmady, a cool head to see Bolton home, which he did, hitting four to win in fine style – Bolton reach 154 after only 21 overs.

A spokesman for the school said: "It was a fine display by the whole team in the field and with the ball, always positive and keen to encourage, and an outstanding display of aggressive batting by the opening pair to beat MGS and become champions.

"The team will now enter the national competition, facing the champions of Yorkshire in September."