Cricket

Director of Cricket & Level 4 Coach

Alan Wells had a professional cricket career that spanned 21 years for Sussex and where he was captain from 1992 to 1996. He also played for Kent from 1997 to 2000 and played a Test match and One Day International for England. He captained an England Lions tour to India and scored over 30,000 career 1st team runs which included 55 centuries.

Bede’s is considered to be one of the top cricket schools nationally and operates all year round with a winter indoor programme focussing on skill and technical development supplemented with specialist strength and conditioning training, and the summer term being our predominant competition season.

At Bede’s we have a highly skilled team of technical coaches with professional experience who share their passion and expertise to develop pupils cricket skills, knowledge and understanding of the game in addition to some of the best cricket facilities in the country.

Our highly-competitive fixture programme sees us play other top cricketing schools across the country. We run 15 teams across the year groups at the Prep and Senior Schools to ensure that all pupils with a desire to play and compete can do so. Senior School pupils will also take part in an annual overseas training camp and regular international tours. A high percentage of Bede’s players are selected for national and representative programmes, including Sussex CCC and England.

Bede’s recent cricket alumni include Sarah Taylor, Luke Wells, Ollie Rayner, Callum Jackson, Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Henry Crocombe, Delray Rawlins, Ali Orr, Joe Sarro and Shai Hope.

Current county 1st XI and franchise cricket players include Archie Lenham, Danial Ibrahim, Alice Capsey and Ryana MacDonald-Gay “The coaching and facilities at Bede’s has played a big part in making me the player I am today. As a professional Sussex CCC player, I now play regularly alongside some of the best cricketers in the game - people like Chris Jordon and Rashid Khan - and thanks to my Bede’s coaches I can continue to train at school as well as continue my academic studies.”

Archie, Upper Sixth Life Skills and Development Coach

Sarah Taylor attended Bede’s Prep School where her passion for cricket was instilled. Sarah became an International Cricketer in 2006 at the age of 17 and went on to play 226 matches, scoring 7 ODI centuries within 6,533 runs, and taking 232 dismissals over a 13 year career, which is the most by any female wicket-keeper. She achieved the following accolades in her professional career: World T20 Champion 2009, World ODI Champion 2009 2017, Ashes Winner three times, T20 World Player of the Year three times and ODI World Player of the Year. Her role at Bede’s works across the sports and year groups to develop pupils’ physical and mental wellbeing.