ENGLAND’S Euro 2012 efforts may not have been the stuff dreams are made of but a Harpenden cricket team’s visit to Ukraine during the championships was a resounding success.

The group of dads from Manland School had already made a bit of sporting history by being the first cricketing side to tour the country.

But the team’s triumph over Ukraine’s national XI has cemented their bit of fame.

Manland Dads’ three-match tour caught the eye of the British media, out there to cover the championships, and saw them feature in extended pieces on BBC 5 Live and be interviewed on Sky News and the BBC. Their tour was also featured on BBC Test Match Special.

Julian Tall, a member of the team, said: “The Manland Dads is celebrating its 18th anniversary this year so we wanted our annual tour to be something a little different. Very kindly the Ukrainian authorities obliged by agreeing to host the European Championships at the same time, so as well as playing three excellent cricket matches we also all got tickets to watch the England-Italy quarter-final.”

Tickets for the quarter final had been purchased more than a year before the tournament kicked off, so the team were doubly delighted to discover they’d be watching their national team.

Manland Dads also played two ex-pat teams based in Kiev, although they lost these fixtures.

Manland’s skipper Jeff Chapman said: “The hospitality from our hosts at the Kiev Cricket Club was absolutely exceptional. Hopefully the positive media coverage of the tour and Ukrainian cricket can benefit the game there in some small way as our friends in Kiev are currently applying for affiliate membership of cricket’s international authorities.”