The under 14 cricket team beat Merchant Taylor's in the quarter final of the Lancashire Cup and will face either Lancaster RGS or Rossall in the semi-final.

Batting first, a steady start saw Jack Dwyer and Conor Allison put on 51 for the first wicket before Allison was caught for 22. This brought Ben Sloan to the wicket who smashed a quickfire 33 in a 55 partnership in just 7 overs. St. Mary's closed on 114 for 3 with Jack Dwyer contributing an excellent 44 not out.

Merchants started steadily with Matthew Lea and Will McKeand (1-11 off 4) bowling frugally. St. Mary's fielding was as good as it has been all year. the first two wickets courtesy of an excellent catch by Jamie Hickey and the very next ball Ben Blackburn produced a speactacular run out.

Curtis Bell and Jack Snaylam did a good rebuilding job with a 76 partnership for Merchants but this left them behind the run rate, especially after Conor Allison's spell of 0-9 off 4 who just a day earlier had taken 3 wickets for Lancashire against Yorkshire.

Needing ten an over, Owen Griffiths (2-26) who bowled Curtis Bell the star man in the penultimate over and Ben Sloan (3-26) restricted Merchants to just 100. Ben Sloan and Jamie Hickey were the stars of the last over as three Merchants men were stumped by Hickey off Sloan.

Congratulations to all the boys. They were outstanding.