Italy: Bologna and Lazio lift youth trophies

Italy's seven month season came to a closure with two exciting national youth tournaments.

Finally breaking a 15 year wait Bologna Promostand handsomely won the Italian under 15 championship - Slazenger Cup played on the wet weekend of October 14 - 15 at Rastignano Oval. The "game" was the real winner of this competition played in wonderful spirit in conditions never good and at moments appalling. Yet, the boys never fussed and got on with the cricket giving an excellent display.

The tournament, played as a six side over five overs per innings, being a round robin of five teams (Bologna Promostand, Capannelle Sharp, Lazio Multiservice, Murri Oasi del Simeto and Tecnessenze Pianoro), the opener between the two local teams proved in the end decisive. Chasing the difficult but not impossible target of 42, Pianoro's skipper Lorenzo Gatti unexplicably decided not to open the batting eventually coming in when the target was down to 9 off 3 balls. Agains his under 19 Italian team mate, left arm bowler Benjamin Dioli, the "Cobra" could only muster 4 runs thus giving victory in the match and the tournament to the local rivals.

Defending champions Lazio came third losing their way against the hometown teams after easy victories against Murri and Capannelle. These two teams saw it out for the wooden spoon with the Sicilians running out surprise winners against the Romans who fielded their under 13 champions team.

Down to Rome and the historic Appian way for the curtain closer of the season with the under 13s. No shortage of drama here with Lazio beating Capannelle in the final by the smallest of margins, 1 run. It went down to the wire with a dramatic last over in which Lazio's skipper, Giulio Gambino, managed to restrain the aggressive vain of his opposite number Matì Jayarajah.

Eight teams divide in two groups of four played the preliminary phase. In group A defending champions Capannelle ran out easy winners with Etna Catania producing the shock of the tournament by beating Bologna for second place with the European School Varese, by far the youngest side in the event, coming fourth.

Group B proved extremely exciting. After two games all four teams stood with a 50% record transforming the last two games in direct knock outs. With the sun setting on the opening day, Lazio, who had beaten Euratom but lost to Murri, got through with 3 balls to spare against Pianoro, who had beaten the Sicilians but lost to the Lombards. On the second morning, Euratom saw Murri off by seven runs to gain access to the final four.

Lazio hardly broke sweat to dispose of Etna by 5 wickets whilst the second semi between Capannelle and Euratom proving a cliffhanger, the Romans getting home by two wickets with 2 balls to spare.

So it was down to the eternal Roman rivals with Lazio who started their innings unconvincingly reaching 32 only thanks to it's skipper productive last over. Capannelle, however, started even slower leaving itself with just a bit too much to do off the final over.