Finchley Cricket Club and some 250 children and parents hosted Eoin Morgan and the Cricket World Cup trophy at a blustery Arden Field last Thursday night.

Silverware in hand, the victorious England skipper and World Cup hero returned to his first senior club as part of a World Cup trophy tour taking members of the winning squad back to where their cricket began.

Tom Harrison, the England Cricket Board chief executive, says the tour is designed “to use the World Cup trophy to inspire kids across the country that wanted to pick up bat and ball after watching the dramatic final at Lord’s”.

Morgan, who moved to England and Middlesex County Cricket Club from Ireland as a teenager, said: “This is where my journey started when I was 15-16 years old – Finchley was my first senior club – and all the basics that I learned as a kid and was taught by my Dad, I came here and learnt so much more. And I still pop in, training as I often do at the neighbouring Middlesex indoor facility.”

Morgan participated in six games of cricket across the ground, signed bats and shirts, took pictures, and answered questions from children and parents.