Royal occasion for Kent women

Charlotte Edwards receives the Lady Taverners Trophy from Prince Philip on behalf of Kent.

HRH Prince Philip, patron and 12th man of the Lord's Taverners, presented Charlotte Edwards and her Kent team with the Lady Taverners Trophy and specially struck silver medals for winning the women's LV County Championship.

The ceremony, organised by the Lord's and Lady Taverners, took place at Buckingham Palace, and crowned another triumphant year for Kent's women cricketers.

Kent women, who are sponsored by SeaFrance, have now won the women's County Championship for two years in succession. They shared the royal occasion with Sussex, winners of the men's LV County Championship, and three times winners in the past five years.

Captain Charlotte Edwards thanked LV, Lord's Taverners, her team, and Kent Cricket Board for the support they had given women's and girls' cricket, saying: "It was great to come back to Buckingham Palace for another brilliant day for our girls.

“When we won it for the first time in 2006 I said all we have to do is to make sure we win it again. Well, we did it and now we will have to try and make it a hat trick."

Afterwards, John Feaver, chief executive of the Lord's Taverners welcomed both teams and their guests to the Lord's Taverners for a further presentation ceremony.

Bill Tidy, president of the Lord's Taverners, presented medals to Kent women's coach Alan Duncan, managers Malcolm Ings and Julie Beaumont, scorer Jane Sweaney, and the parents of Suzie Rowe, Lydia Greenway and Laura Thompson, who are away playing sport in other parts of the world.

Kent women's players present at the ceremony: Charlotte Edwards, Emily Drumm, Marsha Davies, Jo Watts, Emma Plush, Karen Baker, Natalie Lane, Lynsey Askew, Hazel Lovegrove, Tammy Beaumont.