Eight girls teams from Norfolk will begin the battle next week to be crowned county champions in the Lady Taverners Under-13 competition.

The county stage of the competition is organised by the Norfolk Cricket Board and this year, the 12-overs per side pairs matches will be played with a traditional cricket ball, as opposed to the soft ball used in previous years. Norfolk is one of the first counties to introduce this change, which will come into force across the national competition next year.

Teams from Fakenham, Swanton Morley and Swaffham, along with a combined Sheringham and Cromer side, will form Group A, while Group B comprises teams from Garboldisham, Sprowston, Old Buckenham and Brooke.

Matches start on Sunday, May 15 and the top two sides from each group will qualify for a semi-finals and final day at Great Melton on Wednesday, July 27. The winners there will progress to the regional finals at Hatfield in August, with the national finals to be staged at a county ground.

The NCB's cricket development officer, Kevin Denmark, said: 'The board is fully supportive of girls cricket and we see this competition as an important stepping stone for developing interest in it in the county.'