Have the antics of Freddie & Co reignited enthusiasm for our summer game? On the eve of the next Test match, CHRIS TITLEY joined some young cricketers to find out.

THE field behind the Sports Centre at York University is a long way from Old Trafford. It's a patch of grass rather than a cricket pitch: there is no wicket or boundary, let alone sightscreens, scoreboards or 20,000 screaming spectators.

Yet something of the spirit of last week's Manchester Test can be found here.

At the crease, a boy is swinging his bat with the cheery gusto of everyone's new sporting hero, Andrew Flintoff.

Charging at him with the ball is a lad with all the determination of Steve Harmison.

The loud cries of "catch!" when the ball is airborne, the cheers and the banter from these young cricketers is unmistakably reminiscent of the passion shown by the England team this summer.

After Michael Vaughan's team lost to the Australians in the first Test at Lord's, we were all bracing ourselves for the worst.

The recent renaissance of the national team would be swept away in another whitewash by the old enemy.

England's two-run victory at Edgbaston eliminated those doubts in thrilling style. Even when they contrived to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory at Old Trafford, failing to get the last Aussie wicket after another magnificent contest, the home team were rightly given an ovation.

They had outplayed the best team in the world in every department, including in their raw desire to win.

With two Tests to go, the first starting at Trent Bridge in Nottingham tomorrow, the Ashes could finally be heading home after more than 18 years in Australian hands.

The closeness of the contest and the sheer sporting spectacle of the series so far has done the unthinkable and seen the summer game knock Premiership football for six in terms of spectacle and excitement.

The turnaround is all the more remarkable given the miserable state of cricket a few years ago.

With England losing to all comers, county grounds empty and a dearth of young talent, it looked like one of this country's most treasured pastimes was in terminal decline.

Something had to be done, and it was. Last summer saw the launch of Twenty20 Cricket, a fast and furious adaptation which shocked purists as much as it delighted spectators.

A spokesman for the England and Wales Cricket Board said this "shook off the old-fashioned attitudes. There has been a gear change in the perception of cricket".

Suddenly families were relishing the game again.

And the introduction of central contracts for England players meant the international squad has enjoyed unprecedented stability. This has bred confidence and camaraderie not seen since Ian Botham's day.

"The whole country has got cricket fever," said England spinner Ashley Giles after the Old Trafford nailbiter.

Cricket fever had certainly hit Bridlington beach yesterday, with several family games in progress. Likewise at York University. Each year it hosts summer multi-activities for kids aged from seven to 16, where they can have a go at everything from football, tennis and rounders to something more unusual, like fencing.

Maths undergraduate Steph Thomson has been involved in coordinating the events for two summers now.

The impact of the Ashes series has been striking, she said.

"Last year we had to cancel cricket sessions when only four or five kids signed up. This year, it has been over-subscribed in some cases, with 20 kids in one session," she said.

Meanwhile, one of her unofficial duties has been to keep an eye on the Test matches: "People come in at break times to find out what the score is. It's become part of my job to know."

The excitement is not confined to the lads. "Lots of girls have started doing it. There was a group of girls here last week really into their cricket."

We joined an afternoon cricket session where the boys were competing in pairs to get the most runs. No sound of leather against willow, though, as they were using Kwik Cricket kit: stumps and ball made from moulded plastic.

These holds fewer terrors for the younger sportsman.

"A few of them are a little bit scared. But when the ball hits them they stand there, amazed that it doesn't hurt," explains Matt Belk, another maths graduate who is overseeing this game, scribbling each player's score on the back of his hand in Biro.

"After that they become more confident."

There is no one better to teach the rudiments of the game than Matt. He captained York University to glory last year, when they won the BUSA Plate - standing for British Universities Sports Association.

But the 22-year-old maths undergraduate admits that cricket was not a fashionable sport when he was growing up in Doncaster, and he only became really involved when he was 14. England's regular failures somehow failed to inspire.

It is very different today. Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen and that man Flintoff have become star names, says Matt.

The boys are particularly keen to emulate the swashbuckling Freddie.

But they have even started mimicking a less obvious icon - umpire Billy Bowden, whose distinctive crooked finger has given many a batsman out this summer.

The children are buzzing with enthusiasm. St Peter's School pupil Toby Lunn, 14, said: "I have learned quite a lot since I have been here. The teachers are great, especially Matt."

Another 14-year-old, Aron Robinson, plays for Joseph Rowntree School. "I am a slogger. I am not just a batsman," he said proudly.

Has the Ashes series inspired him?

"I am more of a rugby person," he admits. "I haven't watched it, but I've heard about it, and it's made me want to know more. Anything where we bash the Aussies has to be good."

Another experienced player is Matthew Appleton, also 14, who plays for Fulford School and Dunnington village.

His love of the game stems from his uncle, Phil Greenan, a former opening batsman for York, and from coaches Steve Lawrence and Kevin Sutcliffe.

Matthew speaks knowledgably about the various players and their form during the Ashes Tests.

"I have watched every one," he said. "When I was in Portugal on holiday, I listened on the radio. There's a funny bloke on that who's always talking about pigeons."

Ned Greenan, 15, is Phil's son and Matthew's cousin. He was four years old when he first started playing cricket.

Now he too plays for Fulford School, but gave up a place with the North Yorkshire county side because of the travel involved.

As for heroes, "I always wanted to be like Phil, my dad. Flintoff's quite interesting too. He's compared to me sometimes," says Ned, deadpan.

Freddie Flintoff also gets the vote of St Peter's pupil Matthew Wootton, 14.

"I just like the way he always hits sixes and knocks the ball all round the park."

One of the younger players in the session was 11-year-old Robbie Appleton, who has previously taken part in Kwik Cricket games at the primary school he has just left, at Naburn.

"The truth is, I am not a sporting person," he said. "But it's been really fun."

We shall have to wait and see whether this summer's heroics from England have inspired the next generation of cricketing stars. But, judging by this straw poll, they have undoubtedly persuaded youngsters that the game is a joy to play - and that's a terrific achievement in itself.

Updated: 09:05 Wednesday, August 24, 2005