KWIK CRICKET: YOUNG sporting stars from Staverton Primary School are today bidding to become Wiltshire Kwik Cricket champions.

The talented team reached the county final at Devizes by winning a festival in Trowbridge on Friday.

They are joined by youngsters from St Louis Primary School in Frome, who triumphed in the equivalent heat in Warminster.

The pair are up against six Wiltshire rivals, each winners of a heat in their area, and today's winners and runners up will progress to the regional final in Taunton.

The national Kwik Cricket competition reaches a climax at Trent Bridge in July.

In West Wiltshire 12 primary schools competed in each heat and competition was stiff.

At Warminster St Louis defeated Westbury Leigh School by 21 runs while at Trowbridge Staverton edged out St John's Roman Catholic School.

The two runners-up will now represent the district at next month's Wiltshire Youth Games.

Kwik Cricket was launched in 1988 to introduce youngsters to the sport.

The eight-a-side game features plastic bats, balls and wickets and teams start on 200 runs with pairs batting for two overs each.

Each time a batsmen is out their team loses five runs and the side with the highest total is the winner.

Wiltshire cricket development officer Alan Crouch said Friday's heats had been a big success with 108 teams taking part across the county, 12 more than last year.

He said: "One of our aims was to increase the level of competitive cricket played in primary schools.

"Last year we had 96 schools enter and this year we had to lay on an extra venue at Corsham. Next year we hope to involve an eighth venue.

"All this is done through the training for teachers funded by the ECB.

"The teachers then have the confidence to organise teams and get some coaches going in to support them in their schools."

See this week's Wiltshire Times for photographs