FUTURE Flintoffs, mini Montys and potentials Pietersen were on show at the recent Burnley and Padiham Cricket Festival.

A total of 21 schools from across the area took part in the competition which was staged at Burnley Cricket Club and Lowerhouse Cricket Club.

The festival was a joint initiative by Burnley Council and Burnley Asda who joined forces as part of the store’s campaign to promote youth cricket nationwide.

The festival was organised and led by Qasim Ali, Community Cricket Coach for Burnley Council’s Sport and Play Development Unit – with support from Junior Co-ordinators Andy Lamb and Stan Heaton from Burnley and Lowerhouse Cricket Club.

At Burnley and Lowerhouse, the 21 schools battling it out for places at the regional final to be held at Old Trafford “The two day festival saw some pretty exciting cricket played, and some fantastic talent highlighted in some of Burnley’s youngest cricketers.” said Qasim. “The ASDA competition was dominated by Heasandford and Stoneyholme Primary School, whose Year 6 Girls team had already won at local ASDA Girls competition with Heasandford triumphant at the Year 5 Spar Festival.”

Heasandford and Stoneyholme will now get the chance to play at Old Trafford where they will compete in the regional finals of the ASDA competition, Qasim added: “It’s so rewarding to see quality cricket being played among Burnley’s children.”

Burnley ASDA Event Co-ordinator Michelle Holmes worked throughout the festival, providing fresh fruit, water and orange to the 210 young cricketers over the two days of fourteen hours of youth cricket. ASDA are the national sponsor of the Year 6 competitions across the country and provide support for young cricketers country wide – with over eight thousand schools taking part across the UK.

Stoneyholme Girls and Heasandford Year 5 represented Burnley at the recent Youth Games at Stanley Park, Blackpool.

Last year, Burnley won the gold medal thanks to Stoneyholme’s magnificent performance against Rossendale’s district side, winning the first two matches in a best of three Youth Games final played at Chorley.