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Sky Academy cricket team take home the glory at Somerset CCC

Teamwork was the magic ingredient when Sky Academy’s boys claimed victory in an inter-school cricket tournament.

The tournament was part of a school cricket festival run by Somerset County Cricket Club (SCCC), which wants to encourage more children to take up the sport.

Having enjoyed playing table cricket with Somerset CCC, and coming second on their first foray into the sport, the boys were hungry for the top prize.

After a terrific day of coaching, round-robin games and mini-tournaments, Team Sky finally got the glory.

Teacher Mike McLaughlin said the boys’ cricket experiences have helped them build excellent life skills, and their confidence is soaring.

Mike said: “When I first suggested a few games of table cricket, as an intro, with Somerset CCC, the boys weren’t sure if they’d like it.

“But during that first session, they had a great time and enjoyed being competitive, and they were excited to play again.

“Somerset CCC were impressed with their good behaviour and fair play from the off, which made me very proud of them.

"At the cricket festival, this spirit of sportsmanship continued to shine through.

“It’s fantastic to see them out there representing the school so well.”

The boys got the opportunity to go onto Somerset CCC’s professional ground and meet some of the cricketers training at the club.

They were given complimentary tickets to a T20 where they watched Somerset CCC take on Surrey.

According to Mike, the boys are developing some excellent life skills through their cricket experiences.

Mike said: “Not every game is a win, so the boys learn resilience as they cope with both winning and losing.

“They are also learning about the respect you must show when you go into an organisation’s space and have to abide by their rules.

“It’s great to see the boys grow in confidence. One student wasn’t sure if he would participate and asked me if he could just go and watch.

“But by the time he’d seen the first wicket, he immediately wanted to play on the team because he now understood how it worked and felt able to put himself out there.

“When we took the photo with our medals on Somerset CCC’s ground, he asked if he could have one taken on his own.

“He wanted to put the picture in a frame and display it at home because he was so proud of himself and what Team Sky Taunton achieved that day.”