A cricket team has been crowned national disability champions for the first time. The Cornwall Super 9s disability team from Truro became South West champions for the second successive season, in only its third competitive campaign, which qualified them for the national finals.
They beat the Isle of White in the semi finals, then went on to beat Middlesex in the final in Kidderminster, Worcestershire on Sunday. They scored 176/8 from their 30 overs before bowling their opponents out for 79 runs.
Head coach Dan Tonkin said it was a "fantastic achievement" and he was "unbelievably proud" of seeing his team get rewarded for the phenomenal work they put in.
Cricketer Ben Mailes said winning was an "unreal feeling". "Although we went in as underdogs in the final we always believed in ourselves", he said.
His teammate Mark Stevens said the achievement meant a lot to the team. "We got what we deserved. We are a tight knit group, we aren't just cricketers we are friends. We came together in the final and absolutely smashed it."
The Super 9s won the Active category at the BBC Cornwall Make A Difference Awards in 2025. Tonkin said winning the award last year "kick started our season". He said the team was looking to grow and believed winning the national championship was a "stepping stone". "Anyone who wants to access sport, there is always room for new players."
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