Team Manchester overcame South London to retain the ECB City Cup and have now won the title three times in five years.

The final held at the Fischer County Ground, Leicester saw the Red Rose county side recover from 10-3 to to post 147. A total that proved too much for South London.

Players were selected from an extensive Talent Search programme, leading to the delivery of a local City Cup competition involving five squads with Team Manchester being selected on the back of that competition.

Manchester, this year made up predominantly of players aged 18, overcame Wolverhampton in the quarter final before winning a tight semi-final against Bradford to tee up a repeat of the 2016 final against South London.

Farouk Hussain, Team Manchester’s Head Coach, said: “The boys had to work very hard in the semi-final and final to secure victory.

“The team may not have the star players of previous campaigns but they have risen to the challenge when presented with it and have shown great mental toughness and unity.

“It has been a great team effort and one that I am very proud to have been part of. It’s a young side and they will have gained a lot from the rollercoaster ride they have been on this season.”

In the final, Manchester were reduced to 10 for 3 early before Asad Alirizvi and Hashir Khan, both 18 years of age, who were to prove the two key performers in Manchester’s triumph, started the fightback with a fourth-wicket stand of 47.

Continued inside Alirizvi from Cheetham Hill who plays for Sale CC, was dismissed for 30 by a brilliant catch at backward point but Hashir, who plays for Didsbury CC, batted on to reach an unbeaten 57 from 51 balls, allowing Manchester to post a competitive total of 142 for 7.

Team Manchester’s defence saw Alirizvi combined with captain Adil Hussain reduce South London to 33 for 5 before South London were dismissed for 106, with Alirizvi named bowler of the day for his figures of 2 for 15, and Hashir earning the fielding award as he also claimed two stumpings.

This is the third time in five seasons that Manchester have won the ECB City Cup with the programme also providing exit routes for the players into varying forms across the recreational game in Lancashire.

“I started playing cricket in the Chance to Shine programme and had the opportunity to play in the City Cup this year thanks to the Lancashire Cricket Board. It’s amazing to have the chance to come and play at a county ground and be watched by the people that are here today,” said Asad Alirizvi.

James Cutt from the Lancashire Cricket Board overseeing cricket development for minority ethnic communities added: “I’m delighted for the players, coaches and volunteers that have worked on this programme. A lot of effort has gone into achieving not just the City Cup win but many of the ‘spin off’ benefits for the players involved in this programme and I look forward to seeing how they develop.

“My thanks go to all the coaches, umpires, scorers and volunteers who have made this happen, but in particular Farouk Hussain who has gone above and beyond what was expected of him in his role as Head Coach.”

Manchester batted on to post a competitive total of 142 for 7.

Alirizvi combined with captain Adil Hussain reduce South London to 33 for 5 before South London were dismissed for 106.

Asad Alirizvi said, “I started playing cricket in the Chance to Shine programme and had the opportunity to play in the City Cup this year thanks to the Lancashire Cricket Board. It’s amazing to have the chance to come and play at a county ground and be watched by the people that are here today,”

James Cutt from the Lancashire Cricket Board overseeing cricket development for minority ethnic communities added: “A lot of effort has gone into achieving not just the City Cup win but many of the ‘spin off’ benefits for the players involved in this programme and I look forward to seeing how they develop.

“My thanks go to all the coaches, umpires, scorers and volunteers but in particular Farouk Hussain who has gone above and beyond what was expected of him.”