In another full and exciting week of sport at AKS with pride of place going to the AKS U13 Indoor Cricket team who produced an excellent performance to win the North West Lancashire Finals and secure their place in the County Finals.
Batting first in all three group matches, AKS began with a thrilling 2 run victory over Bishop Rawstrone after posting 79 thanks to great batting from Penny A and Amelie Y ,who scored her maximum 15 runs in just 3 balls. They followed that with a dominant display against Broughton, scoring 70. Penny A again scoring superbly before a superb bowling effort restricted the opposition to just 42 to secure a second win.In the final group game against Lancaster, AKS scored 64 and then delivered their best bowling performance of the day, holding Lancaster to just 50 runs to seal their final win in a tightly contested match that could easily have gone either way. Highlight of the match was Penny A’s 3 wickets in an over. The victory secured their place in the final.
Facing St Michael’s in the final, AKS posted their lowest total of the day 51,with Winnie V- R and Grace W scoring well but the bowlers once again rose to the challenge. Excellent discipline and brilliant death bowling saw AKS defend the target brilliantly limiting St.Michael’s to just 41 to win by 10 runs and so be crowned champions.
It was a fantastic team effort, with every player contributing at key moments to secure a well deserved clean sweep of wins and the accolade of being Lancashire North Champions. The girls now go on to the Lancashire County Finals with a place in the North West Finals to play for.
The AKS Under-15 Girls indoor cricket team also travelled to the Bolton Arena to compete in the prestigious Lancashire County North Finals. The competition at this elite level was fierce, our girls testing themselves against some of the best cricket schools in the region.
The girls faced stiff competition throughout the day, participating in three high-octane fixtures. While the scoreboards didn't fall in our favour this time, the statistics tell a story of incredible resilience:
• Game 1: A nail-biting finish, lost by just 12 runs.
• Game 2: A tactical battle, falling short by only 8 runs.
• Game 3: A final dash to the finish, lost by a mere 14 runs.
To lose all three games by fewer than 15 runs is a testament to how competitive our squad has become. On another day, a single boundary or one sharp catch could have flipped every single result!
The improvement in bowling accuracy and clinical running between the wickets since the last round was clear for all to see. The communication in the field was a joy to watch—the girls supported one another through every over, celebrating every wicket and encouraging every batter. Beyond the scores, the day was about the experience. The atmosphere in the arena was fantastic, and the girls represented AKS with impeccable sportsmanship and a "never-give-up" attitude. A great effort by all involved!
This tournament marks the end of the indoor chapter, but it serves as the perfect springboard for the upcoming outdoor season. The skills honed in the fast-paced indoor environment—sharp reflexes, creative strokeplay and athletic fielding—will give the girls a distinct advantage as they move onto the grass wickets.
It was another busy week on the Rugby 7’s scene and the Senior team played in the Kirkham Tournament. We started the tournament superbly with a sound performance against Kirkham B holding good attacking shape and defensively secure to win 24 – 7. Game 2 saw us up against a very strong Kings Macclesfield outfit where small details cost us big. Still a bit reluctant to let our wingers go but well in the game only to lose 7 – 17. Knocked by dropping points game 3 was disappointing as we put in a poor showing against an athletic QEGS Wakefield side who physically imposed themselves on us. Yellow card in 2nd minute following a debatable KO decision cost us our mental discipline and we lost 22- 7. The boys showed great resilience to bounce back in game 4 saving our best till last with a blow for blow epic against Stonyhurst that was decided by AKS in a coast to coast final play to win 24 – 19. Overall is was a great day of rugby for the lads who saw some big gains in finishing 5th Overall in good company
The U12 A & B teams played in the St.Marys College, Crosby 7’s competition and did brilliantly to finish in 2nd and 1st place respectively.
U12 A started the tournament superbly with a 4 -1 win against Scarisbrick, and followed this up with an even better result a 6 - 2 win over St Marys Crosby. Game 3 saw us up against a strong Birkenhead side and it was a tight first half with Birkenhead going in to the break one goal ahead at 3 - 2. We then lost hope in the second half and chased the game too hard, finishing only to be undone by Birkenhaed and the final score was a disappointing 8-2 to Birkenhead. To their credit the boys got back to winning ways in game 4 with a 5-1 win over Bolton and followed this up with an impressive then 6-0 win over King William School. We played some superb 7's and got better as the tournament progressed deservedly finishing runners-up in the tournament.
The U12s B squad went one better to win the B team tournament!!! We played some excellent rugby and deserdly took home the trophy.
The week finished on Saturday morning with a hive of activity at AKS with the girls entertaining Merchant Taylors School for hockey and netball fixtures and the boys hosting Westholme for football matches
The U13 boys put in a great effort overall under tough circumstances. We were never out of the contest and showed great resilience despite being behind for most of the game. We were sometimes wasteful in attack and were constantly under pressure in defence. Credit to Westholme for being a formidable opponents and giving us a great game later in the game. Our boys really ramped up the attack and showed great fight and resilience in the second half. Well done boys.
AKS U12 football made the perfect start, opening the scoring with a looping header that sailed over the goalkeeper and into the net. However, the lead lasted only moments as Westholme responded immediately from the restart to bring the game level. Westholme then took control before half-time. A free kick just outside the box, awarded after an over physical challenge, was placed neatly into the bottom corner. Soon after, a defensive error led to a penalty which was powerfully struck into the top right corner, giving Westholme a 3–1 lead at the break. The second half was a more physical contest with AKS spending much of it under pressure. Westholme moved the ball well and built their attacks patiently,
It was a superb morning of sport for the girls as netball and hockey teams faced Merchant Taylors School. It was AKS who dominated the hockey matches whilst Merchant Taylors came out on top in the 3 of the 4 netball matches.
The U15 hockey squad took to the field for their last match of the season and had a perfect end to the year with an impressive 9 – 2 victory. With a large squad available for the final fixture it was an excellent opportunity to ensure all players were involved, with many demonstrating their versatility by playing a range of positions. Seven different players contributed to the scoring, reflecting the strength and depth of the squad as well as the team’s collective approach throughout the match. Alyssa W topped the scorers with a hat-trick along with a brace from Esme Mi and there was a first goal of the season from Annie L along with goals from Layla O and Sadie A. A great win was a fitting end to the season and a positive final opportunity for the full group to play together.
The U13 Hockey were also dominant in their 7 – 0 win. We started on the front foot attacking at pace from the first whistle and were soon ahead after just two minutes. We extended our lead minutes later and played some superb passing hockey switching play confidently via Arabella C and Neve A to attack down the right. Merchant did have some attacks of their own but Harriet B was on hand in goal to clear and maintain our lead. As the game progressed we enjoyed more possession , created lots of scoring opportunities and four goals from Penny A sealed the victory before a final goal from Freya Wood made it an impressive final score and a fitting end to the season.
The U12 hockey team made it a hat-trick of wins with a dominant display from a confident team. The team constantly made clean entries into the opposition D on the right hand side. The Merchant Taylor’s GK did a great job of denying AKS but couldn’t stem the tide and we scored several goals before the break. AKS pressed well at the top of the pitch and constantly turned over possession and forced the opposition down their left. All in all a great morning, wonderfully capped off on the astro with a comprehensive win. Player of the match was Winnie v- R.
On the netball side Merchant Taylors had the upper hand winning 3 of the 4 matches. The U12A team played superbly to secure a strong 9–6 victory. It was a competitive match, with the team showing great teamwork, accurate passing, and solid defence throughout. Their determination and communication helped them maintain the lead and finish with a well-deserved win. Player of the Match was Sienna L.
The U13’s came up against a fast and accurate Merchant’s side and lost 14 – 25.
The U14 team lost a closely contested match to Merchant Taylors, 23–19, but showed fantastic improvement since their previous meeting in November, which finished 19–6.The team played with much greater confidence, applying strong defensive pressure and impressive structure. Their determination kept the game competitive throughout and highlighted the progress the squad has made.
The U15 team also showed how much they have improved playing our best game of the year and losing by just 5 goals. It was an incredibly close contest from start to finish with both teams showing great determination and quality and the lead changing hands several times during the match. Our players supported each other brilliantly throughout the match, communicating well and working hard for one another in both attack and defence. The game was also very physical but the team rose to the challenge and matched Merchant Taylors’ physicality with real resilience and commitment. Overall a fantastic performance that demonstrated the team’s progress, teamwork and competitive spirit.