Women’s County Championship winners and One-Day Cup winners, Kent Women’s Cricket team, were the guests of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at Buckingham Palace today to receive their trophy.

HRH The Duke of Edinburgh is Patron and ‘Twelfth Man’ of the Lord’s Taverners – the UK’s leading youth cricket and disability sports charity and he hosted the Women’s and Men’s winning counties to present the the Lady Taverners ECB Trophy and the Lord’s Taverners ECB Trophy.

The Lady Taverners ECB Trophy is the official name of the silverware awarded to the winners of the Women’s County Championship.

It is the 43^rd year that the County Champions have enjoyed a special Royal engagement since the trophy was introduced for the first time by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 1973. As Patron and ‘Twelfth Man’ he asks the Lord’s Taverners to organise a ceremony which he hosts at Buckingham Palace every year to honour the winners.

Kent women’s captain, Charlotte Edwards said: “It’s been a brilliant summer with a great group of girls. Suzie Bates has been fantastic and led with bat, ball and in the field. Tash Farrant has bowled well and Alice Davidson-Richards has had a fine season. We’ve used our whole squad this summer; everyone has had a run-out. Charlotte Pape and Megan Belt have performed well again. It’s been a real team effort. We have our international players but everyone’s performed at different points during the season. I love playing with this group because they’re down-to-earth and they love playing for Kent and it shows in our cricket.”

Paul Robin, Chief Executive of The Lord’s Taverners, stated: “We are delighted to once again be organising the men’s and women’s county championship trophy presentations at Buckingham Palace. It’s a great tradition for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to present the Lord’s Taverners Trophies and a wonderful way to thank the county game which has, once again, been so supportive of the charity last season. It is a very special day for both Middlesex and Kent.”

Paul Carney, Director of Sport at Canterbury Christ Church University said: “Canterbury Christ Church University are very proud sponsors of Kent Women’s Cricket team and hope their success inspires future generations of girls to get involved with cricket.”