After a gruelling road to the finals that began with an epic qualifying victory back in February, the Carisbrooke College U13 cricket team travelled to The Bay to take on TIFS and The Bay in the final of the indoor season. 

The afternoon began against TIFS. Logan won the toss and elected to bowl, trusting in his side’s discipline. It was a masterstroke. Joshua opened the attack with some super spin alongside the explosive Jenson, and with Harry keeping things airtight behind the stumps, the opposition found themselves struggling to get runs on the board. Being forced to run as boundaries were hard to come by, Carisbrooke were able to pounce in the field and take multiple run-outs which came off the back of Joshua's bowling and Logan, Jenson, Jake and Joshua all took one each. Jake then put the finishing touches on a dominant defensive display with a final run-out to close the innings. Oscar ensured his side of the pitch was not leaking any runs whilst ensuring the team energy was kept up as he supported Jenson with constant waves of noise to encourage the side.  Harry was just glad he had his helmet on the whole time to block out the noise.

The chase was a showcase of composure. Logan and Jake established a superb opening partnership, with the Captain contributing a brisk 11. Jake, living up to his reputation as "The Calm Before the Storm," remained unbeaten on 25. His highlight was a "big boy" six that nearly cleared the arena, leaving the crowd in awe. Joshua joined him to see the run chase through, reaching the target of 58 with 15 balls to spare.

With the title within touching distance, Carisbrooke faced The Bay. Logan again won the toss and chose to hunt in the field. This time, the team’s athleticism reached a fever pitch. Jenson was everywhere, forcing multiple run-outs and later claiming a stunning one-handed catch off his own bowling that brought the bench to its feet. 

Joshua, just prior to this, took a high-quality caught-and-bowled to keep the momentum firmly in Carisbrooke's favour.

As Oscar applied the mid-innings squeeze and Harry and Jake patrolled the pitch with tireless energy, Logan provided the knockout blow, taking two wickets in two consecutive balls to restrict the opposition to 35 runs.

The final chase began with a bang. Jenson looked set to finish the game single-handedly after a monstrous six and a lightning four, but a sharp piece of wicket-keeping saw him dismissed. When Oscar fell shortly after while looking to go big, the pressure mounted. However, Jake stepped back into the fray to steady the ship alongside Joshua as they showed veteran-like patience, picked their spots and chased down the runs.

The championship was sealed with five overs left. It was a performance defined by unity; every player had their moment, every player did their bit, and as a result, Carisbrooke College are the 2026 Indoor Champions. Cue Oscar and his favourite song, "A Thousand Miles".

Highlights:

Jake: 38 runs without losing his wicket.

Harry: Man on a mission behind the stumps.

Oscar: Keeping on top of any stray balls in the field and, of course, the singing.

Jenson: Power hitting and amazing catching.

Joshua: 17 runs and multiple wickets.

Logan: Clinical batting and a captain's performance with the ball in hand.

A special mention to both The Bay and TIFS for putting on a great afternoon of cricket and doing so with the right attitude and sportsmanship throughout.  Thank you to Mr Bricknell at The Bay for hosting and organising.