A new national schools cricket competition for girls has been launched.

Following on from the success of the School Sport Magazine U15 T20 Girls Cricket Cup over the last six years, a new T20 U18 competition will be introduced in 2020.

Entries have opened for both competitions with the U15 cup aimed at girls in years 10 and below and the U18 event for years 11-13, although younger girls may play in both competitions.

The tournaments are in England and Wales. Entries close at the end of February each year or when the competition entry limits have been reached.

The 11-a-side hardball competitions, open to both state and independent schools in England and Wales, will be run on a local, county and regional basis in the early rounds to avoid excess travel and will be played mainly in midweek but weekends if preferred.

Both competitions will be played in group stages before the summer half term with the group winners qualifying for the knockout stages.

The U15 finals day (semi-finals and final) will take place in early September. The U18 competition will have its finals day at the end of the summer term.

Further details and an entry form are available on the website or by emailing [email protected]

It's all over - Freya Kemp hits incredible 109no off just 13 overs as Bede's School reach target to become national champions v Ipswich School (150-2) in final of School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 Girls T20 Cricket Cup

Out of the ground- Freya Kemp hits two successive sixes as Bede's School reach 143-2 to close in on victory v Ipswich School (150-2)

11 overs - Freya Kemp is smashing it to all parts. She is on 79no after just 11 overs as Bede's reach 109-2 chasing 150-2 to win

5 overs - Bede's 45-1

18.00 - Bede's begin run chase with hopes pinned on impressive Freya Kemp who scored 47no (out of 62) in semi final

17.45 - 20 overs - Ipswich 150 set decent total for Bede's to chase

17 overs - Harriet Pettit (40) and Esmae MacGregor (30) are leading Ipswich to a decent total with three overs to go - 121-1

10 overs - Ipswich 68-1 going well

5 overs - Ipswich 30-1 off 5

5 overs - Good start by Ipswich 30-1

16.20 - Ipswich School to bat first against Bede's School in final of School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 Girls T20 Cricket Cup at Felsted School

20 overs - Millfield fall five runs short on 164. Great game. Well played Ipswich

19 overs - Millfield 154-7

18.4 overs - Wicket and Hazell finally out for a brilliant 86 with Millfield 152-6 needing 18 off 8 balls

18 overs - Jess Hazell hasn't given up as she reaches 78no and Millfield 143 for 5

17.2 overs - Ipswich turn the screw with Millfield now 133-5 needing 37 off 14 balls

16.4 overs - Jess Hazell is the key if Millfield are to win this game as she reaches 65 and Millfield 130-4

15 overs - Millfield 122-3

14 overs - Millfield 113-2

13.1 - 2nd wicket - Philippa Letchford run out - Millfield 106-2

13 overs - Jess Hazell reaches 50 as Millfield reach 105-1

12 overs - Millfield 102-1

11.2 overs - First wicket - India Owen bowled for 37 - Millfield 95-1

11 overs - Millfield 94-0

10 overs - Openers India Owen (33 off 30 balls and Jess Hazell (33 off 34 balls) going well as Millfield reach 81-0

9 overs - Millfield 69-0

5 overs - Millfield 37-0

3 overs - Millfield 27-0

Earlier Ipswich School set opponents Millfield a stiff target in today's second semi final of School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 Girls T20 Cricket Cup

The Suffolk side posted a formidable 169-5 in their 20 overs thanks to an unbeaten 52 from Esmae MacGregor and 31 from 12-year-old Amie Hunt.

Bede's School produced a superb all-round performance to defeat Norwich School and reach the final of the School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 Girls T20 Cricket Cup today .

Freya Kemp took two wickets off the first two balls of the game as Norwich were reduced to 30-5 off five overs in glorious sunshine at Felsted School.

Kemp then took a fantastic catch as Norwich lurched from 41-6 to 46-9 in nine overs before eventually before bowled out for 56.

The talented all-rounder then carried her bat - finishing the match with a six - as Bede's reached 62-2 to win by eight wickets.

Four sides will do battle in the sixth School Sport Magazine National U15 Girls T20 Cricket Finals Day next Monday September 2.

The semi-finals at Felsted School in Essex will see Norwich School play Bede’s School at 11am and Ipswich School take on Millfield at 1.30pm. The final will take place at 4pm.

Entries for the 2020 School Sport Magazine National Schools U15 and new U18 Girls T20 Cricket Cups are now open. Email [email protected] for further details

For a full report on this year’s competition, check out the new edition of School Sport Magazine out next week.

Follow @schoolsportmag on Twitter for tweet by tweet coverage of finals day.

Sporting success is still dominated by the type of school you go to, according to new research.

Pupils from independent schools still have the best chance of sporting success at cricket, rugby and many Olympic sports.

It’s the same in school sports where almost half of national competitions are won by non-state schools even though only 14% of entrants comes from the private sector.

(To read more or for a full report check out the next edition of School Sport Magazine. An annual subscription is available for just £29 while single editions are available for £6 each. Email [email protected])

Three Durham teenagers combined to help Dyke House Sports & Technology College in Hartlepool win the English Schools’ Team Championship over the Bracken course at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.

Fourteen-year-old Jack Burton scored 40 stableford points while 17-year-old Louis Westmoreland registered just one less to give the Durham school a three-shot victory on seven under par 79.

Dyke House Academy’s nearest challengers were Graham School from Scarborough who were represented by Sean Burrows, Tommy Risker and Jack Northgraves and who registered 77 points to finish two points clear of the third-placed team from Matthew Arnold School in Oxford comprising Elizabeth Ball, Jakob Johnson and Freddie Whitfield…..

(To read more or for a full report check out the next edition of School Sport Magazine. An annual subscription is available for just £29 while single editions are available for £6 each. Email [email protected])

The best team performances usually win rugby league’s showcase schools’ festival of sport.

But this year’s Champion Schools’ finals were dominated by a host of superb individual acts of brilliance that lit up Warrington’s Victoria Park Stadium in front of 1,000 fans.

Four excellent tries from Harry Robertson proved the difference between Wade Deacon High School and Wigan’s St John Fisher in a 36-14 U13 victory for the boys from Cheshire.

(To read more or for a full report check out the next edition of School Sport Magazine. An annual subscription is available for just £29 while single editions are available for £6 each. Email [email protected])

Schools from Surrey, Bristol, Essex and Buckinghamshire took home the honours at the England Handball National Schools finals.

But all four finals had spectators at Derby Arena on the edge of their seats with little between the teams as most of the matches went to the final whistle.

In the U13 girls’ competition, Guildford County School won one and drew two matches in the pool stage before overcoming Worcester’s Tudor Grange School 8-3 in the semi-finals.

Their final opponents Bower Park School, from Romford, pipped Priory Belvoir in extra time in the last four but came up short in the crucial decider as Guildford edged it 4-3.

(To read more or for a full report check out the next edition of School Sport Magazine. An annual subscription is available for just £29 while single editions are available for £6 each. Email [email protected])

The best basketball teams in the country served up a treat at the national schools’ championships.

And pride of place went to Aylesbury High School, who starred in the highest-scoring and closest final of them all against Stockport’s Reddish Vale High School.

Incredibly, the Buckinghamshire side trailed 30-13 after the first quarter and 49-31 at half-time – but a superb second half comeback saw them forced the game into overtime, despite three points on the buzzer from Reddish’s Charlie Wroe.

(To read more or for a full report check out the next edition of School Sport Magazine. An annual subscription is available for just £29 while single editions are available for £6 each. Email [email protected])