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The Canterbury Academy have won The Cricketer Schools’ 100 title for a second successive year.
After claiming victory on net run-rate in the inaugural tournament in 2022 - which saw the knockout phase wiped out by rain - Canterbury returned to Desert Springs, Spain, to finish what they’d started and delivered a five-match winning streak to ensure the title remained their own.
Canterbury under-18s won the toss in the Final against the Essex-based Shenfield High School and elected to bat first.
While Freddie Fulton played a steady hand, Jaydn Denly (29) and Harry Roberts (21) kept the rate up, hitting eight boundaries between them.
Denly was the dangerman and had struck a century in the opening game against Rajasthan Academy UK.
When Denly picked out Callum Berry off Adam Pryor, Roberts picked up where he left off, as he struck a powerful blow down the ground for four, three balls into his innings.
Henry Goss (19) and Max Wood (14) chipped in as Canterbury set Shenfield 137.
Having taken two wickets apiece, Arjun Bhardwaj and Callum Berry opened up for Shenfield. They had already shared a 183-run partnership in the group stage.
The pair combined for 62 this time before captain Harry Fulton had Bhardwaj caught by Connor Dale on the long-off boundary rope for 19.
It was a stand which put Canterbury under as much pressure as any had in the tournament - but Shenfield couldn’t push on.
The impressive Berry finished unbeaten on 55. Aside from Bhardwaj, though, no other batsman reached double figures, with Canterbury’s class telling for a 33-run win.
The Canterbury Academy’s other victories came against Rajasthan Royals Academy - once in the Semi-Finals and once in the group stages - Westminster School and Shenfield in the group stages.