Altrincham Grammar School for Boys are the first national champions of the Knight-Stokes Cup, beating John Hampden Grammar in the final at Lord's.
Altrincham Grammar School for Boys are the first winners of a new national cricket competition for state schools. Their under-15 team won the final of the Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup on the main ground at Lord’s on Thursday 10 September.
They beat John Hampden Grammar School in a 20-over final. MCC, which runs the competition, confirms the result and names Altrincham Grammar as the inaugural boys’ champions. Chelmsford County High School won the girls’ final.
How the final went
The school’s own match report sets out the day. John Hampden won the toss and batted first. They made 146 for 6 from their 20 overs, which the school calls “a very challenging” total.
The reply rested on the openers. They put on 91 together before the first wicket fell. One of them finished 51 not out from 48 balls, and the other went for 47 from 41 balls.
Altrincham passed the target in the 19th over, with eight balls to spare.
A 13-match run from 1,100 entries
The school says the competition drew 1,100 school entries across the UK, with 780 in the boys’ cup. Its squad played 13 matches to reach the final, and names 12 players in the squad.
MCC describes the format like this:
- separate hardball competitions for boys and girls, at under-15 level
- county competitions first, then regional and national knockout rounds
- a final on the main ground at Lord’s
The competition is named after Heather Knight and Ben Stokes, whom MCC calls “two of England’s greatest state-educated cricketers”. It is run by MCC and the MCC Foundation, with Barclays as principal sponsor.
Their name is first on the board
MCC is putting up a new honours board for the winners in the Writing Room of the Lord’s Pavilion. The school says the board was unveiled on the day, with Altrincham Grammar School for Boys as the first name on it.
The players changed in the players’ dressing room and watched their innings from the balcony, the school says. Before the match they had a talk from Paul Allott, the former England cricketer and an old boy of the school. Heather Knight and Ben Stokes sent video messages.
The school is on Marlborough Road in Bowdon. Its report thanks the two staff who coached the team through the run.
What it means for you
If you teach at, or have a child at, a state secondary in Trafford, the 2027 competition is already open for entries. MCC’s page says:
- entries close on Monday 30 November 2026
- a school employee must fill in the form
- MCC charges no entry fee, though a county competition may charge one
- a small fund helps schools for whom the county fee is a barrier
- schools with no hardball cricket set-up are welcome, and the MCC Foundation helps with access to grounds and kit
The 2027 rounds start in April, and MCC expects the final to be at Lord’s in September 2027. All state secondary and grammar schools in the UK and the Republic of Ireland can enter (MCC: Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup).
For what else is on for families in town this autumn, see things to do in Altrincham.
Sources
- Altrincham Grammar School for Boys: match report, for the scores, the entry figures, the 13-match run and the day at Lord’s.
- MCC: Barclays Knight-Stokes Cup, for the final date, both champions, the format, the honours board and the 2027 entry rules.
Have your say