Pupils' eventful trip to Lord’s for Taverners National Table Cricket Finals sees them miss out on tournament chance

The school were one of 10 teams to book their place at the annual Lord’s showpiece after winning their regional qualifier in Scotland.

But after a dramatic day involving a cancelled flight, delayed replacement and slow arrival of a bus, they arrived slightly too late to compete at the Home of Cricket as Wirral Grammar School grabbed glory in the capital.

The Falkirk students did still enjoy an experience at Lord’s to savour, however, getting there in time for the trophy presentations and even meeting England legend David Gower and fast bowler Reece Topley.

The school’s team received a rousing standing ovation upon their arrival for their determination to attend and enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The Lord’s Taverners say they will now work with the school and their partners to look at ways to try and make up for the disappointment of missing out on the tournament.

Teacher Amy Barbour, who was travelling with the Falkirk team on the day, said: "First, we weren't sure if we were going to get there at all.

“But we decided to rebook the flight, even though we were going to be late and give the kids the experience anyway.

“The next flight got delayed by an hour, but they were so excited to be here and come and see what was going on and meet everyone else who was playing.

"They all felt famous when they came in! They were a wee bit embarrassed, but it was but nice and they were all smiling even though they were absolutely knackered."

Thousands of youngsters from across the country had been chasing down a place at Lord’s to qualify for the Lord’s Taverners National Table Cricket Finals Day.

Following months of county competitions, nearly 70 schools and over 500 young people with a disability competed in the charity’s table cricket regional finals across the country throughout April.

Much of the Lord’s Taverners work in cricket for young people with disabilities is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and awarded by the Postcode Active Trust, in addition to support from the ECB and Sport England.

This past year has seen over 6,500 young people playing the game, benefitting from immeasurable personal development opportunities through table cricket. Participants learn leadership, communication and endless amounts of key skills whilst travelling to new places and creating friendships with other players.

Former England captain Gower, President of the Lord’s Taverners, said: “It is brilliant to these kids with their disabilities and disadvantages able to be such fantastic participants.”

The Lord’s Taverners impacts the lives of young people facing the challenges of inequality. The charity works across the UK and beyond to provide inclusive and impactful cricket programmes, empowering young people with disabilities and from disadvantaged communities – visit www.lordstaverners.org