Royals crowned winners of the inaugural Codebreakers Cup

Radcliffe School in Milton Keynes was the venue for the first ever Codebreakers Cup – a slowpitch softball tournament organised by the Milton Keynes Softball League.

Three local Milton Keynes teams were joined by nine other teams from around the country to compete for the Colossus trophy. The tournament had a strong Bletchley Park theme with the pitches named ‘Station X’, ‘BP’ and ‘Room 47’, all codenames for nearby home of the Codebreakers, Bletchley Park. Players and spectators were kept entertained by classic wartime music as the teams arrived ready for action.

The teams were split into three groups with Leicester Royals, Soft Boiled, Yorkshire Puddings and Manchester Fish all qualifying to battle it out for the Colossus trophy. The remaining teams played for the Bombe and Enigma titles. Everything was coordinated from Hut 14 and a special codebreaking quiz proved popular as the teams tried to emulate local hero Alan Turing.

The Royals edged out the Fish 10-9 in a thrilling first semi-final, while Soft Boiled overcame the Puddings 11-4 in a tasty second semi. A beautiful sunny day ended with a big-hitting final with the Royals avenging a defeat to Soft Boiled in the group stages by winning the final 21-11. The Most Valuable Players were the Royals’ Alex Bentley and Tracey Sharp.

As well as a trophy, the Royals took home to Leicester a keg of local Colossus craft ale. Bristol BAM and Coventry Blitz made a big noise in the Bombe and Enigma consolation tournaments respectively, ending their days with silverware.

The Milton Keynes Softball League has just completed its third full season and hopes to bring the Codebreakers Cup back for 2019. An indoor league starts in October at Radcliffe School on Tuesday evenings. For more information visit www.mksoftball.co.uk