THE third annual Under-12 Minor Counties competition gets under way at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, tomorrow.Six counties - Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk - are taking part, with Hertfordshire hoping to retain the title they won last year after Suffolk's success in 2005 in the tournament, which is again sponsored by Ipswich Building Society.

THE third annual Under-12 Minor Counties competition gets under way at the Royal Hospital School in Holbrook, tomorrow.

Six counties - Buckinghamshire, Cumbria, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk - are taking part, with Hertfordshire hoping to retain the title they won last year after Suffolk's success in 2005 in the tournament, which is again sponsored by Ipswich Building Society.

Organiser Don Topley said: “I believe it has become the most prestigious youth cricket festival in the entire country, and I am very pleased with the reputation that the school has got for its part in that. I have travelled around the country with my son Reece and been to Malvern, Ampleforth and King's, Taunton and I am pleased to report that ours is the best.

“I am looking forward to welcoming around 100 cricketers from the Under-12s and another 100 or so from the Under-11s thereafter.”

The three-day Under-11 Festival starts next Friday and continues until the following Sunday, with Cumbria, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk taking part.

Topley said: “What is most satisfying for me is to see how excited the youngsters are to be away from home on their first cricket tour, and also their parents enjoying their week's holiday watching their young ones play.

“The overall standard of the competition is excellent and if anyone wants to come along to watch they will be most welcome.

“The format for the Under-12 competition is 45-overs-a-side with every county playing each other and the one with the highest points aggregate will win the Ipswich Building Society Trophy.

“The Under-11 festival is not necessarily about winning and losing but just about playing against counties they do not normally get the opportunity to meet, with the side batting first facing a maximum 46 overs before declaring,” he added.

Play will start at 11am each day and continue to around 5.30pm.