Luton lift the City Cup

Luton were crowned Lord's Taverners City Cup champions for the first time after at thrilling game against Manchester at Grace Road on Sunday.

Suleiman Mohammed led from the front with a fine half-century as they emerged victorious against the holders.

Mohammed said: "It's been a great experience for all of us coming here to a first-class county ground and winning the trophy. I think it's good for Luton."

The winning team included three players who have arrived in recent years from Afghanistan - including Mohammed Ismail, who hit two crucial sixes late in the Luton innings, and the opening batsman Sajad Homyoon.

He was one of two Luton players chosen, with the opening bowler Essa Mohammed, to play in a trial T20 match after the City Cup final - which also involved players from each of the other 11 city teams who made this year's competition the biggest yet since it was introduced in 2009.

All 24 players had the chance to impress watching ECB coaches - and Leicester-born Janak Valand was on hand to provide first-hand confirmation of the potentially life-changing opportunity that could provide.

"I grew up around here and played for Leicester Banks just down the road," Valand explained. "Then I played in the City Cup and got offered a contract with the MCC Young Cricketers. So for the last two years I've been playing a high standard of cricket against county second XIs and other fixtures, and based at Lord's. It doesn't get much better than that."

David Graveney, the national performance manager of the ECB Emerging Talent Programme, enthused about the quality of the cricketers in both the final and the representative match. "I've seen myself in places like Bristol and Cardiff the huge potential this tournament has to open up the game to new people," he said.

That was a message enthusiastically endorsed by Professor Lord Patel of Bradford OBE, who presented the trophy to Luton having joined the ECB board earlier this year.

"I just wish this had been around when I was 17," he joked. "I do think this is a significant demonstration of the amount of latent cricket talent in our cities, and it's great to see these teams playing at a county ground.

“I'd like this competition to have a higher profile and let's hope it can keep growing. I think it's great for Luton to have these players representing them, and being crowned the national champions for the first time."