By Andy Bloomfield
Having finished top of their group, the Scarborough Under-15 Boys’ beat Best Cricket Academy in the final thanks to a stunning all-round performance from Luca, who smashed 50 runs and took three crucial wickets. Noah also starred with the ball, taking a hat-trick to help his side lift the trophy. The Scarborough Under-15 Girls also had a successful festival finishing in third place after they defeated Millfield School in the third/fourth place play-off. Miya hit a brilliant 85 runs before quickfire contributions from Danelli and Eboni, saw them reach an impressive 212 off their 20 overs. Eliza, Tiana, Lois, Theanny and Libby then all took wickets to restrict their opponents to 176. Sponsored by wealth management firm Titan Wealth, who have also been involved in the festival’s planning, the APEX festival featured Under-15s teams from South Africa, Namibia, and across the UK, including Scarborough College. As well as featuring high-quality youth cricket, and appearances by legends of the game Sir Andrew Strauss and Ebony Rainford-Brent, the festival aimed to equip players with valuable life skills and enduring friendships. Beyond the boundary rope, there were carefully curated sessions led by top wellbeing and life coaches on mental and physical health, and career development. These aimed to teach young players everything from techniques on handling pressure to maximising their strengths – both on and off the field.