A JUNIOR cricket team from Bromsgrove School put on some top performances to finish third in the U11s national hardball finals.

The Worcester Road school's U11s eight-a-side hardball team, winners of the West Midlands area, won two out of three group matches and the third place play-off at Oundle School, near Peterborough, last Friday.

Coached by Gareth Jones, the team defeated Cheshire's Middleton Parish (North West winners) and St Aubyns of Essex (East winners), but lost to Sussex's Harlands School (South East winners) in the final three balls.

Against St John's School, from Sidmouth, Devon (South West Winners), in the third place play-off, Bromsgrove restricted their opponents to 233-9 wickets and held on to win by one run with one ball to spare.