When Mollie Ovenden went to watch England retain the Ashes, she never thought the team captain would retain something of hers.

The eight-year-old went to see England play at Old Trafford on Monday with her dad Steve, mum Kirsten, and six-year-old sister Isobel, and was lucky enough to meet Alastair Cook, the England captain, after the match.

Mollie was kind enough to lend Alastair her bright yellow York Maze pen, which the cricket star seemed to like so much that he decided to keep it to sign more autographs.

Mollie said: “It was a bit annoying really, but now it’s kind of a trademark, but I am going to try and get it back.”

The family, of Poppleton, are heading to Durham on Monday for the fourth Ashes test match, and Mollie is hoping to see Alastair to get her pen back.

Dad Steve, said: “Mollie still has the pen top so we have been saying she is like Cinderella. Hopefully she will be reunited with her prince on Monday.”

Tom Pearcy, from York Maze, Elvington Lane, said: “We have made arrangements for Mollie to get a replacement pen, and we’ll ask her to take a new York Maze pen with her to give to Alastair Cook together with some York Maze tickets so he can take on a different kind of test, beating Europe’s biggest maze.”