TEENAGERS are playing short form cricket alongside their friends from neighbouring teams in a competition that is growing in popularity.

It could be a way for rivals to work with each other to increase participation.

Davenham concluded their group-stage campaign in the Vitality Under 19s Club T20 with a narrow defeat at Runcorn.

Their captain was Sam Barnes, who opened the batting for Winnington Park in a Cheshire League fixture the following afternoon.

His brother, Daniel, was in the team the previous evening too.

“We probably wouldn’t have entered without having them to call upon,” said Karen Gallagher, junior section co-ordinator at Butcher’s Stile.

“There aren’t the numbers here to field a team made up entirely of our members, but having the flexibility to bring in other players has made a difference.”

The competition’s rules allow for clubs with a small pool of players to invite others from two other clubs.

However a minimum of seven on the team-sheet for each fixture must be from the original one.

A third Winnington Park player, Peter Room, and Toft’s Sam Hatcher have also been registered.

It is not a new arrangement, and Barnes has played age-group cricket as a junior at Davenham for a while.

Gallagher said: “We’ve combined with Weaverham in the past, and often you find that the lads are friends that have played other sports together or go to the same school of college.

“This gives them an option to add cricket to that list.

“It’s a difficult age-group for every club because it’s a time when players often go off to university and so aren’t around during the week to play in the evening.

“We’re not alone in facing that challenge.”

Oulton Park are the only other mid Cheshire team to have taken part this time around, and are still seeking their first victory in the Cheshire West and Central Division.

Gallagher said it is too early to say whether Davenham will enter again next year.

She added: “There has been a great rapport between the lads and they’ve enjoyed being part of it.

“However we’ll have to look at who we have available before making a decision.”

Cheshire Cricket Board received a total of 33 entries, split into half-a-dozen groups according to geography, for the current campaign.

“It certainly seems to have created a buzz,” said Gareth Moorhouse, the board’s clubs and participation manager.

“There is clearly an appetite for T20, and the challenge was to find a place for it in the calendar that didn’t conflict with existing leagues.

“We’ll collect feedback at the end of this season and see where we can improve.”