North Herts Knights Basketball Club are cock-a-hoop this week. The club, based in Baldock, has been running for the last five years and has grown steadily from just a few people to a strong club that has more than 100 members. North Herts Knights has rece

North Herts Knights Basketball Club are cock-a-hoop this week.

The club, based in Baldock, has been running for the last five years and has grown steadily from just a few people to a strong club that has more than 100 members.

North Herts Knights has recently been awarded Three Star Accreditation and is only the second one in Hertfordshire to have attained this high level of club status.

It identifies the level of support and structure in place that provides excellent coaching to all its members.

The club trains at the Knights Templar Sports Centre on Thursdays and Sundays. The times are: Under-11s: Thursday 6-7pm. Under-17s: Thursday 7-8pm. Seniors: Thursday 8-9.45pm and Sunday 3-5pm (training or a match).

Last season was the most successful in the club's brief history with the under-16s and the seniors winning trophies for the club.

If you would like to train, regardless of skill or ability, then go to the relevant session on a Thursday evening. Their coaches are well trained and qualified through the England Basketball Association.

The Knights were joined by district councillor Ian Knighton and Leanne Fair, the North Herts sports development officer, last Thursday for a special presentation (below).

It was for a cheque of £8,917 to promote basketball in local schools in the North Herts area. This money was awarded by the Awards for All/Big Lottery Fund.

A large proportion of this money will go towards supplying schools with basketballs as well as portable basketball nets.

Former top player Steve Darlow then presented the club's head coach Terry Fryer (shown above) with the Three Star Accreditation award. This was the result of hard work by club members to ensure that the correct policies and procedures are in place for all their players.

The club's senior B team played their first game of the new season on Sunday against Hatfield Magic. Knights found their rhythm and started to pull away with scintillating passing and precise shooting. They won by a comfortable margin of 44 points (86-42).

Their scorers were Dan Aldwinckle (19 points), Jeff Ee (18), Jason Nicholson (17), Gary Crowhurst (11), Simon Kendall (10), Mark Wright (seven), Nik Tubby and Ben Ryan (two apiece).