Cricket at Marlborough

‘Cricket at Marlborough provided wonderful opportunities and instilled important values’

Billy Mead (C1 2012-17) MCC Young Cricketers

Cricket is the major game for boys in the Summer Term and has a long history at the College. Each season reaches its climax with the two-day Colours Match against Rugby –a fixture that dates from 1855 and which, until 1972, was played at Lord’s. Girls Cricket has evolved quickly since its introduction in 2016 with hope for further expansion in the future. There is a strong emphasis on culture, with the mantra “good people make good cricketers”. Success on the pitch is important, but not at the expense of the spirit of the game. A healthy respect for the values of cricket is nurtured. The onus is on learning, self-reflection, aspiration and most importantly, enjoyment.

An excellent group of Cricket staff invest enthusiasm, energy and time into making the experience as enjoyable as possible. The coaching programme is led by former Gloucestershire all-rounder Mark Alleyne, MBE. Alleyne won 10 ODI caps for England between 1999 and 2000 and captained the record-breaking Gloucestershire limited over side of the early 2000s. Former England Women’s captain Charlotte Edwards works part-time as the Girls’ Professional.

The College boasts charmingly scenic grounds set against the backdrop of the rolling Wiltshire countryside. It hosted the Women’s Ashes warm up game between Australia & England Academy in 2019.

Scholarships & Bursaries

Marlborough offers an exceptional experience for aspiring cricketers. Under the coaching expertise of Head Coach, Mark Alleyne, we offer bespoke training plans to develop talent and enable the cricket sports scholar to pursue their goals in conjunction with county programmes.

Sport scholars benefit from our strength and conditioning programme which includes nutritional and psychological profiling and specialist tactical and technical advice through video analysis. Each scholar is monitored throughout the year to ensure that there is a balance between sporting commitments and academic priorities.

We can offer means-tested bursary places with up to 100% of fees paid, and a limited number of discretionary non means-tested scholarship places carrying a fee reduction of up to 20%.

Mike Bush Master i/c Cricket

In memory of Christopher Martin-Jenkins (B3 195863), leading cricket broadcaster and journalist, we award an annual means-tested bursary with up to 100% of fees paid to a pupil entering the College in the Lower Sixth who displays an exceptional talent in cricket. @MCol_Cricket www.marlboroughcollege.org

Professional & Club Affiliations

Marlborough has strong links with local cricket clubs, and hosts training and matches for Wiltshire age groups and the Gloucs/Wilts Emerging Player Programme. Current pupils are involved in the Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire youth programmes.

Tours

The XI plays on one of the most beautiful school grounds in the country. The Pavilion was designed by Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse and built in 1874. There are eight more cricket grounds, fourteen artificial nets and two cages on site.

The inaugural mixed Boys & Girls tour to South Africa in February 2020 saw the boys playing against the best of the Cape Town schools and the girls against representative sides from Western Province. Highlights included a two-wicket win against Wynberg Boys High School on the Jacques Kallis Oval and a victory against the Regional Performance Centre at Tygerberg CC, home club of Vernon Philander.

A successful tour to Barbados in 2017 saw the College win five out of seven matches. The tourists played a T20 under floodlights at the 3 Ws Oval and had the opportunity to meet West Indies legends Gordon Greenidge and Sir Garfield Sobers. Unfortunately, the Junior Colts Pre-Season tour to Desert Springs planned for April 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic

In addition to excellent outdoor facilities, there are five indoor nets within the Sports Hall complex and coaching is aided by the use of a TrueMan Bowling Machine. Plans are underway for a new 8 lane fully enclosed covered training hub facility.

Fixtures

17 Boys teams compete in block fixtures against major schools. Girls Cricket has been running for six seasons, and just under 50 Girls play. There are currently three XIs with a vibrant fixture schedule.

The XI compete in the John Harvey Cup and the National Schools T20 Competition. The College enters the National U17 Boys Cup and National Girls 100 Ball Cup. The Junior Colts take part in the ESCA Lord’s Taverners U15 Competition, the National U15 T20 and the prestigious Clark-Williams Trophy Festival. The Yearlings 1st XI play in the U14 Wiltshire County Cup.

Facilities

Star Performers

Billy Mead (C1 2012-17) – Hampshire 2nd XI, Surrey 2nd XI, MCC Young Cricketers. Surpassed 1000 runs in his final year at school including a record breaking 214* v Sherborne.

Uzi Qureshi (B1 2007-11) – Gloucestershire Academy, Gloucestershire 2nd XI, Cardiff MCCU, Wiltshire. Scored five centuries for the XI at Marlborough.

Rosie Pembroke (EL 2015-20) – Full Wiltshire debut aged 14, Southern Vipers Academy, Durham University, represented MCC at Lord’s in Hundred Trial match 2021. Record run scorer for junior Wiltshire Girls age groups.

Robbie Williams (BH 2000-05) – Durham MCCU, Middlesex, Leicestershire, Berkshire. Took 114 wickets for the XI in four seasons at Marlborough.

Charlotte Bawden (MM 2010-15) – Durham University Captain & Surrey. Made history by becoming the first girl to represent the Marlborough Boys XI.

Ben Higton (SU 2019-21) – CMJ Bursary recipient, Gloucs Wilts EPP, won the WEPL Premier League & Wiltshire Wallop with Potterne CC, full Wiltshire debut in 2021. Took 35 wickets at an average of 9.85 at Marlborough.

Ed Kilbee (C2 2001-06) – University of Cape Town, Surrey 2nd XI, Worcestershire 2nd XI, Somerset 2nd XI, Unicorns & Wiltshire. Captained the XI to 12 wins out of 14 matches in his final year at Marlborough.

Charlotte Bawden (MM 2010-15) Ed Kilbee (C2 2001-06) Uzi Qureshi (B1 2007-11) Ben Higton (SU 2019-21) Billy Mead (C1 2012-17) Rosie Pembroke (EL 2015-20) Robbie Williams (BH 2000-05)

What we can offer you

Cricket at Marlborough combines top-class facilities, a rich and proud history and a dynamic coaching environment to help aspiring young players reach their full potential.