17 Golds St Peter’s scoops at World School Swim Championships

St Peter’s Sports Department is so proud of its Swim Team from 8-13 and 13-18 who were awarded over 50 medals, including 17 gold, at the World School Swim Championships, held at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The amazing haul of 52 medals in total was broken down into 17 gold, 16 silver and 19 bronze.

The school was specially invited to compete with schools from across the globe after a consistently good year of swimming results. St Peter’s took a team of 18 swimmers to compete in the U13, U15 and U17 competitions. The day started very well with the U13 girls taking the gold medal in the 4x50 freestyle relay and breaking the school record.

The medals then kept coming across the age groups, showing strength and depth across the board.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master, said: “What an outstanding achievement. At St Peter’s, we are so incredibly proud of all the pupils who took part, and hugely appreciative of the brilliant training and coaching from Ian, our committed Head of Swimming, and his team.”

Ian Maycock, Head of Swimming, added: “This has been the highlight of my year by some way. It’s hard to express my pride and admiration for the St Peter’s swimmers who travelled to London. Over 50 medals with nearly 20 golds, was simply breath-taking, but I equally valued their exemplary behaviour, positive attitude and sense of fun and teamwork. I’ve ordered a new trophy cabinet!”

Raya (J5), who achieved eight of the 17 golds, added: “I was so glad I took part! It was pretty cool to represent my school and win a handful of medals and a trophy. Training seven times a week is worth it for fun, fitness and teamwork with my friends. I can’t believe how well we all did. Thank you so much to my coaching team.”

St Peter’s 13-18

Rugby

First XV

Following a short and productive pre-season training the First XV were ready to take on the Retiring Captains team from the previous year, a thoroughly exciting game culminating in a narrow loss. Highlights include our best performance of the season with a 33-7 win against Queen Ethelburga’s (QEGS). The back row of Freddie, Sam D and Sam S were linking well and making numerous tackles. The long trip to Lancaster RGS was saw us take the win 10-8. The final match of the season was against Pocklington with the team determined to put on a good display and finish on a high. A game of free-flowing rugby ensued with the school winning an impressive 63-0. The boys were excellent trainers and always listened, with a desire to improve.

Rosslyn Park

First VII gave another great performance at the Rosslyn Park Sevens, winning the group and progressing to the knockout stage, only narrowly beaten by Murchison. This put them through to the Bowl competition. Some excellent performances on the second day put them through to the final against George Watson’s College where they just missed out to finish valiant runners up.

Second XV

The approach in training, and targets towards match play, were based on the principles of trying to achieve world-class basics. The season started well, with solid wins against RGS Newcastle, QEGS Wakefield, and Lancaster Grammar School. Hard-fought battles, and slender losses to Oakham, Sedbergh, as well as Harrogate Grammar First XV, gave opportunity to review and reflect. Reflecting on the results of the season, the determination and fortitude shown was impressive.

Third XV

It is hard to imagine a more turbulent season, but the team came out stronger with a sense of calm and composure. When playing Lancaster Grammar School, with the opposition scoring two quick tries in concession, the team soon found their stride. A quick open game was key to the success against Scarborough College where it was great to count on the versatility of the players. Against Denstone College the superiority of the line out throwing kept the pressure on the visiting side. Under Ampleforth College’s spotlights the team showed real versatility against a boggy pitch and howling wind and rain and the hard carries made all the difference.

U16s

The team played 10, won 7, lost 3 but these facts do not tell the whole story. Memories were made and knowledge gained at Barnard Castle, Sedbergh, Wharfedale, Denstone and Woodhouse Grove. The stronger fixture list was a real bonus and allowed the team to learn and implement new ideas each week. The team’s scrummage work improved hugely as the season progressed and they were not bettered in the lineout all term.

U15s

The U15s showed great development this year progressing as a whole squad with many B team members readily involved with the A team. The collective endeavour was inspiring with pupils taking up mature leadership positions, leading to a strong team ethos. The season started with competitive fixtures tested against top schools such as RGS Newcastle whereby a hard-fought draw occurred. Three tough games against Oakham, QEGS, and Sedbergh were a great learning curve which paid dividends later. B team players made some significant appearances within the season with the A team showing their progress against Lancaster RGS producing a 67-0 win. The B team had an undefeated run until the end of the season, beating Barnard Castle in a nail biting 15-12 win, Woodhouse Grove with a 58-0 win and Pocklington with a 45-0 win.

U14s

From the first practise in September, with over 40 boys attending, it was clear this group had the making of a successful season. The boys showed passion, commitment and determination. Improvement, in their rugby ability, attitude and maturity was self-evident. The A team match against Lancaster Royal Grammar School sticks in the memory. Seven regular B team players represented the A team on this day due to illness and the result was an exciting, narrow win for St Peter’s through guts and determination; a wonderful and entertaining season.

Netball

The main aim of the netball programme is to engage, motivate and develop resilience within players of all ages and ability throughout the school. We also had several players gain selection to representative teams at National Performance Leagues and U21 Scotland level, and a great many of our students began their steps towards similar achievements, via their selection onto Rhinos Development Programme and North Yorkshire Netball.

National Schools Competition

The U19, U16 and U14 teams all made promising starts to their Nationals Schools netball campaign, with all three age groups qualifying for the county round of the competition. Both the U19 and U16 teams qualified for the regional finals at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield. A fantastic saw the U19 side finish a proud third in the competition. A steady display from the U16s, with smooth and consistent transitional play, saw an all-round positive team effort.

First VII

Highlights included a close win against tough competitors Woodhouse Grove (20-18) and comprehensive victories against Newcastle High (31-25), Hymers College (32-19), Ashville College (39-13), Sedbergh (29-15) and Bradford Grammar (40-21). A truly exceptional season, led by a brilliant captain, saw the girls miss out on an unbeaten season by a single goal.

Second VII

A stronger fixture list proved to be an encouraging boost for the team, as it offered new challenges and experiences that allowed the team to mature and develop with confidence.

Third VII

The energetic and dynamic combinations of the attacking third VII continuously confused defenders and were a force to be reckoned with. The third team finished their season unbeaten!

Fourth VII

The standard of netball played by the fourth team this year can be highlighted by their emphatic win over Sedbergh. The groups maturity, camaraderie, grit and determination led them to a superb 21-18 victory against their toughest opponents of the season.

U15As

There is an abundance of talent within this group who brought enthusiasm and energy whilst balancing their studies and other sports outside of school. Under Matilda’s leadership, they won the York & Districts Tournament without losing a game and came away with particularly impressive wins over Ashville, Ampleforth and Bradford Grammar, amongst others.

U15Bs

The B-team had a fantastic term exemplifying their depth of ability. This group came together as a team to challenge strong squads across the region. Their performances and growth were as a result of their positive attitudes towards training.

U14s

All girls worked extremely hard in training where the season began early in preparation for the National Schools Competition. They were runners up in the first round then progressed to the county round. They must be congratulated on the effort and commitment shown throughout. Competition for places was high and the girls worked exceptionally hard in whichever team they were in, qualities which demonstrate both resilience and adaptability.

Hockey Highlights

Nine pupils from St Peter’s 13-18 were selected for the England Hockey Performance Centre, which provides quality coaching for players in the U15 and U17 age groups, selected from their county squads with consistently high-performance levels. Helena, one of the pupils selected, was also selected for the final assessment squad (30 players) for England U16 Hockey.

Boys’ Hockey

First XI

The boys’ first XI Hockey team was a fantastic group to work with, achieving seven wins throughout the season. At Barnard Castle, the hardworking squad put in a ruthless performance in front of goal, with Alex scoring six goals in a 15-1 victory. There was also a superb performance away at Hymers, where the team moved the ball with confidence, pressed well and made excellent decisions in the final quarter of the pitch which was rewarded with a 7-2 win. This win was then followed up with a 5-0 victory against Hill House School. The second half of term started with a disappointing 1-1 draw with Ampleforth, but positive changes soon meant the team looked more balanced and started to play with more control and structure again. Three excellent wins followed: a 2-1 win against Giggleswick, a superb 2-0 win against Ashville (a reverse of the scoreline earlier in the season) and a 6-3 victory against Pocklington. Individual congratulations go to Finlay who played in the England Hockey U18 Challenge Cup for Durham Talent Academy.

Second and Third XIs

The second and third teams also had excellent seasons and should be congratulated. The second XI finished with seven wins, one draw and three losses, while the third XI achieved three wins and two losses.

U15As

The 15A team finished with a record of three wins, two draws and three losses. The team improved quickly and had an excellent attitude throughout the season.

U14As

The U14s had a fantastic season with 10 wins overall, culminating in reaching the Tier 2 National Finals at Nottingham Hockey Centre. At the finals, they played a strong opposition who moved the ball with pace and were extremely clinical. Despite being disappointed with their results early in the day, the boys really stepped up and learnt huge amounts. They ended third in their group and finished sixth overall in the country, at Tier 2; an outstanding achievement of which they should all be extremely proud.

Girls’ Hockey

First XI

The team was eager to get back to playing competitive hockey and won an astonishing 13 out of 19 games by the end of the season. The season started with the Rugby School Invitational Hockey Tournament where the team finished fifth, our best-ever finish. A Hill House School match followed, a tough challenge where the full-time score of 3-3 was hard fought. A more comfortable 5-2 win against Ampleforth followed. The team’s match against a very talented Trent College side was their performance of the season. Defensively the team was wellorganised, confident and quick. This resulted in a fantastic 3-1 victory, which included a superb counter-attacking goal finished off by captain Poppy and a rocket drag flick from Holly. The final two matches of the season saw a 4-1 victory against Barnard Castle, with two excellent reverse-stick finishes from captain Poppy, and a convincing 4-0 win against Pocklington. In the National Cup, the U18 Squad had a good run in the Plate Competition. There were excellent individual achievements for Holly and Helena, who were selected for the England National Age Group Observational Squads at U18 and U16 respectively, a superb achievement. We had a record eight girls selected for the Challenge Cup in July, and eight represent City of York HC at the National Club Finals at the Olympic Park, where they finished third in the country.

Second XI

In a very successful and enjoyable season, the team gelled well early on which made for a wonderful atmosphere and positive training sessions. The team played 10 matches with 6 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. Losses against Sedbergh and Denstone were close matches where either team could have come away with a victory. The team performed consistently well and played controlled and attacking hockey all season. Highlights were wins against Durham and Trent College and high-scoring victories against Ampleforth and Pocklington.

Third XI

The season got off to a great start, with a 2-0 win over Ampleforth and a 0-0 draw against RGS Newcastle. The Worksop College game proved to be a game of two ends. The Peter’s team’s attacking style continued to provide ample opportunities to convert goals, with the final score of 5-1 meaning an impressive game. A strong Sedbergh side meant end-to-end action and high intensity. With five minutes to go, a perfectly worked routine by the Peter’s midfield gave the team the 2-1 lead they worked so hard for all the game. Other highlights this season included wins against Cundall 4-0, Queen Margaret’s 9-0 and Sedbergh 2-1.

Fourth XI

This was a very talented team with a mix of younger players making their way in senior hockey and some more experienced players who brought level-headedness and determination. Of the seven matches this season, they drew two, lost three and won two.

U14As

The team achieved a great deal, with five wins over the season. Against Hymers, positional understanding and passing around the pitch resulted in a pleasing 3-1 win. A convincing win against Pocklington in the last match of the season saw the team go out on a high.

U14Bs

As defence grew stronger and transfers allowed for fast-paced counter-attacks, the girls began to come together as a team resulting in a win against Hill House and a draw against Ampleforth. By the end of the season the girls’ communication and resilience had massively improved, leading to a 5-0 win against Pocklington.

Tennis

In mid-March the first IV senior girls travelled to Sunderland to play in the LTA Youth Senior Student Regional Finals (North). The team of Dasha, Anna and Izzy, captained by Flora, competed against Stonyhurst to be crowned the Northern champions, with each player competing in singles and doubles. Helen Barnard, Head of Girls Sports at St Peter’s 13-18, said: “Winning the North finals is an excellent achievement and a reward for their continued efforts and commitment to tennis all year round.”

Eton ISTA Championships

At the end of term, a number of our top tennis players spent four days at Eton College to compete at the ISTA Championships. It was the first time in years that this event ran. The competition was fierce, and our senior and junior teams performed very well, holding their own with some of the best players in the country.

Our Senior girls (Dasha & Flora, Anna & Izzy) all qualified for the knockout stages after winning several matches in the group stages (wins against New Hall, RGS Newcastle, KCS Wimbledon). Anna & Izzy managed to make the quarter finals after winning their first knockout match, a great achievement for two pupils playing in a U19 event.

Our Senior Boys’ team of Toby, Max, James and Freddie played a great quality match with KCS Wimbledon in the first round, losing out 2-0 overall after some close sets of tennis. After that, they got a comprehensive 2-0 win over Rugby before ending their tournament with a defeat to Colston’s.

Junior Girls, Millie and Ailsa played very well and after winning tough matches, including a win against Millfield, made it all the way to the semi-finals of the Springthorpe Cup. Elspeth and Serene showed how much they have developed over the summer to play great matches with Queenswood, Marlborough, Bradfield and Leicester Grammar.

Our Junior Boys team of Rob, Tom, Olly and Art were rewarded for their performances in our U14 team year and went to Eton a year early to gain experience and practice against quality opposition. They were in good form and handled themselves very well against some terrific tennis players.

LTA School National Finalists!

Our Senior Boys achieved the remarkable feat of reaching the Finals of the LTA Schools National Championships by winning four hard-fought knockout matches against Trent College, Bede’s, Clifton College and Warwick School. The team was Toby, Max, Angus, Rob and Freddie (Carlos and Finlay also played in a crucial win along the way). They competed with the very best tennis players in the UK, including some who had played at Wimbledon just days before. The level of tennis on show was truly outstanding and competing with such high-calibre opponents will be a memory to savour. This was some of the best tennis we have seen, handling the environment and quality of opponents superbly. The team were exemplary in their behaviour and a credit to the school. For St Peter’s to reach the National Tennis Finals, as one of the top 16 schools in the country, is fantastic for the rising profile of tennis at the school.

Quality Messi-Style Football!

The First XI football team secured an impressive 70%-win rate. There was a big win against Ampleforth and many high-scoring matches across the season, but it was the tighter hardfought victories (2-1 vs Tranby and 3-2 vs Sedbergh) that were the most rewarding. End-ofterm football awards demonstrated the calibre of talent on display. James won the Goal of the Season award for his Messi-esque run and finish vs Ripon Grammar. The Hope House defence of goalkeeper Will, Seb, Jack and Joe made it a very difficult team to break down.

Top goal scorer was Wolfe, most improved player Seb, player of the season Jack, and School House took the Inter-House football trophy.

Rowing with the Boat Club

It was a wonderful year for the Boat Club despite challenges. From having to cancel racing due to not enough water in the river at Peterborough, race abandonment at Newark due to difficult conditions, through to extraordinary success at Bradford Regatta, it was wonderful to see rowers overcome adversities and celebrate triumphs. Here are a few highlights:

Ancholme Head. The Boat Club returned to competition in October in Lincolnshire over 2750m. Twenty-two crews raced over both divisions and enjoyed great conditions. All the crews performed well with the J18 quad, J17 double, WJ16 quad, WJ15 coxed quad and WJ15 double all taking the win in their category.

York Small Boats Head. A strong headwind and dropping temperatures greeted the rowers as they gathered at the Boathouse and the 3km race was against the stream. Showing tremendous resilience, all crews achieved good performances with the Fourth Form Boys Double and Senior Boys Band 2 Quad taking the win in their respective categories.

South Yorkshire Head. Here a prevailing headwind and downpour made conditions difficult for everyone. The efforts of the girls’ and boys’ J15 squads were rewarded with wins for the girls’ quad and the boys’ double. The Senior Boys were the fastest Quad on the day and the third fastest boat overall, out of ninety-six crews.

Junior Sculling Head. Eton Dorney, home of the 2012 Olympic rowing events, is a mustrace venue. Both St Peter’s J15 girls and boys produced some excellent racing. The girls’ octuples produced their best performance to date finishing 10th out of 21. The boys’ low stroke rate belied a determination that pushed them along at a good pace.

Bradford Sprint Regatta. After huge effort but ultimate disappointment at the Henley Qualifiers and Reading Town Regatta, Bradford restored confidence. Through their collective good humour, effort, and willingness to work together, the J14 boys and girls, J15 boys and girls and the Senior girls all flew off the start and did not stop until they had brought home 14 wins (34 medals) across the boat classes – a remarkable day’s racing to end the season.

Girls’ First XI cricket

It is a very exciting time for cricket at St Peter’s. For a relatively young, inexperienced group, this season has been outstanding. Over 15 girls played with the first XI, with determination, intent and passion. The team thrived on competition, with individuals standing up and delivering when it really mattered. A side bolstered by Jess, Anna F, Molly A and Lauren, all bringing experience from both county and club, saw convincing 50-run wins over Hill House and Ampleforth College, punctuated by thrilling final-over defeats against Sedbergh & Giggleswick, which could easily have gone our way.

U15/14s

The U14 girls had a fantastic season of cricket. The U14 and 15 girls’ teams mixed for a number of matches to allow us to field a hardball and a softball team, ensuring progress. Several girls from the U14 team also represented the school as part of the first team whilst senior students were unavailable during exams. In the match against Bootham, after working on bowling, the team gave far fewer extras away, winning the game convincingly.

Cricketer Schools’ Guide 2022

St Peter’s was again featured in The Cricketer Schools’ Guide 2022, both St Peter’s 8-13, as one of the top 50 prep/junior schools, and St Peter’s 13-18, as one of the top 100 senior schools. Gareth Sharp, Head of Cricket at St Peter’s, said: “We are delighted to be included again in the Cricketer’s Schools’ Guide; a testimony to the hard work of all our coaching staff, our grounds team, and above all the dedication of the boys and girls on our winter and summer programmes.”

Boys First XI

A young and untested team exceeded expectations. The first full summer after Covid allowed the team to build a contemporary culture of selfless, humble and curious players. Time was invested in world-class basics to enable performance under pressure with increased self-awareness. The summer campaign started with pre-season against York University followed by a productive peer game for the senior squad. Well-won midweek 40-over games against the XL Club, the Yorkshire Cricket College, and a T20 game with the OPs allowed for purposeful game time before the first block against Durham away, in which the XI secured a fine and gritty three-wicket win. The first round of the National T20 saw wins over Yarm and Silcoates. A defeat to Sedbergh and then banana-skin loss to Ampleforth rocked the boat but did not derail the campaign.

The XI went from strength to strength, with wins against Woodhouse Grove, Worksop again, Pocklington and Bradford as well as wonderful learning opportunities with highperforming players against Warwickshire EPP. Knocked out of the last eight in the National T20 to a strong Myerscough XI, who went on to be runners up of the whole competition, was a brave effort. The closing chapter of the season saw the First XI Festival with Repton, Epsom, and Warwick return and a fantastic season-ending victory against a strong Old Peterites side. A particular mention for Wills who broke a 30-year-old school batting record, with 1,252 runs as a Fourth Former.

One of the Most Exciting Finishes to a Cricket Game!

Friday 27 May - HMC T20 North East Finals Day at York Sports Club - will remain etched in the memory for all that witnessed it. Gareth Sharp, Head of St Peter’s Cricket and First XI coach, said: “This must be one of the most exciting finishes to a game of cricket I have ever witnessed.” The resilience to beat Ampleforth in the North East T20 semifinal in the final over when the game was all but lost, and then to do it all again in the final against Worksop, off the last ball, showed incredible fortitude. Elias was the hero with his 76 from 32 balls using his formidable striking skills, alongside his indispensable partner Freddie.

Second and Third XIs

“To me, cricket is a simple game...just go out and play,” said the late Shane Warne. Those who represented the Second and Third XIs, did exactly that. The team played 13 matches, won 10 and lost 3. An innovation this season was to integrate nets at times with the senior girls and some of the U15s. The variety this provided brought on a number of the players. It also engendered the teamwork and togetherness required to be a successful side. They started the season beaten by a particularly strong Yorkshire Cricket College. However, in the next three YCC matches, there was a convincing win, a very tight loss, and even tighter win. There were entertaining wins against Ampleforth College, Revesby CC, Durham School T20 Festival and Pocklington which saw catch of the season by Harvey at gully! All players contributed to the enjoyment of this season, embracing the fixtures and training with focus and commitment.

U15s

This was a very talented and skilful group of cricketers, a few of whom also represented the First XIs. Improvement and maturity, as well as individual cricket skills, balance, and patience, were all on display. The team appreciated each other’s strengths and weaknesses and got the best from each other. The festival at the end of term reflected all the improvements made.

U14s

This was an excellent season where the team won all their games apart from one against Sedbergh. They were well captained by Alex and had a strong bowling attack from Seth, Paddy and Joe. Jack, Henry and Abelard were talented on the bat. Ollie, Rory and Toby were also significant contributors to this talented team.

Swimming to Success

The U18 boys gave an outstanding performance at the London Aquatic Centre for the finals of the English Schools Swimming Association competition at the end of November. They put in a huge effort to move up three places to finish 11th in England for the freestyle relay, narrowly missing out on the final and finishing a very respectable 19th in the medley. This is by far the most success the school has ever achieved at this event. Two members of the U18 boys’ team, Toby and Finlay, also qualified for the short course British Nationals in swimming. Toby in five events (100 IM, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 backstroke and 50 butterfly) and Finlay in one (400 IM). They represent York City Baths Club where they train seven times a week as well as their school swimming commitments. In addition, Toby was awarded an athletic scholarship for August 2022 at DI Canisius in Buffalo, NY, a testament to the years of hard work and dedication, and we wish him the best of luck. In March, our swimmers competed in the National Independent Schools’ Competition – the Bath and Otter Cup. The teams qualified for three of the four finals, with the boys claiming the best haul for St Peter’s in over 50 years with two silver medals! The girls qualified in fourth place for their final and the future looks bright, with three of our 15-year-olds competing in an open age event.

U18s – Girls and Boys

The Boys stretched their unbeaten regular fixture streak to eight years, which was wonderful and unsurprising given the strength of the whole team, led brilliantly by Captain Toby. The Girls made amazing progress, led by Captain Melissa, with an almost undefeated year, losing only one fixture, to a very strong Ripon. This young Girls’ team, with the majority in Fifth Form or Lower Sixth, means the future looks bright.

U14/15s – Girls and Boys

This was a great season, remaining unbeaten in all regular fixtures throughout the year. A particular highlight was the U15 Girls medals at the English Schools qualifying round. Though the team were placed as reserves for the Final at the Olympic pool, they still ranked an impressive top 30 in the country, an impressive feat.

Ski Trip

Over February half term 33 pupils took part in the first overseas school trip for two years. Due to the Covid regulations, the ski trip only ran for Third and Fourth Formers, who did a remarkable job of representing the school. The instructors were impressed with their ability, resilience and overall approach. Huge progress was made by all, from our beginners’ group right the way through to our more experienced skiers. It was great to see a school trip finally being enjoyed after such a long break. There was also well-deserved fun and laughter in the après ski. Well done to all the pupils for making the trip such a success.

Individual Sporting Successes Outside School Rugby Stars at St Peter’s and Beyond…

St Peter’s is well-known for its home-grown rugby talent, and many of our rugby pupils represent local and regional clubs outside of school. Elias represented the Yorkshire Rugby Academy while Louis was selected for the Yorkshire U18s. Meanwhile, Sam, Freddie, Theo and James were all selected for the Independent Schools Lambs North and Midlands Squad. Ben, Richard and Toby were also involved with the Yorkshire Rugby Academy. This commitment to the game regularly leads to success in major competitions and models excellence and commitment across our school teams. Earlier this year, an article in The Rugby Paper described St Peter’s School as “a fiercely competitive, well-coached side that can never be discounted in national competitions”.

Gold-winning Sophie’s Got a Spring in her Step

Congratulations to Sophie (Lower Sixth) who was selected for the England squad in the double mini trampoline (DMT), a gymnastics discipline within trampolining. Over the Easter holidays Sophie participated in various competitions from Telford to Portugal. Sophie was chosen for this year’s England squad in the senior group, while being selected to represent England at the Frivolten Cup in Sweden later in the year where she won the gold medal in the Open Women’s DMT! Sophie said: “I’m so glad my hard work paid off.” Mrs Barnard, Head of Girls’ Sport at St Peter’s, said: “This is testament to Sophie’s excellent dedication and talent. She manages to train and compete, while significantly contributing to first team school sport and her academic studies.”

Eliza Completes the Great North Swim

Eliza (in Fifth Form) completed the 5K Great North Swim at the end of June. Conditions were extremely challenging with high winds and choppy waters, seeing more experienced competitors forced to withdraw. Determined Eliza swam the course in two hours and 11 minutes, raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society in memory of her grandmother. Eliza was the youngest competitor to complete the 5k course this year!

Wills Captain of the N orth of England U15s Cricket Squad…

Congratulations to Wills, who in July was selected for the North of England U15 squad for Bunbury at Loughborough University, a seven-day event and the first stage in the ECB’s Player Pathway to the England National Team. As of 2018, 91 of the cricketers who played at this tournament have gone on to play for England, including national team captains Alistair Cook, Ben Stokes, Joss Butler and Joe Root, while 10 of 11 England players in 2019 World Cup final also played at the event!

Wills made history on the cricket field during the summer holidays when he scored 107 not out from 117 balls in the 50-over fixture against the Midlands. He was a crucial part of a record partnership, scoring 214 in the nine-wicket victory. The talented North of England team won this year’s ECB Bunbury Festival. Super Wills was also top of the Wisden Schools batting averages nationally with 1,252 runs, second in the total runs and 10th in the bowling averages. Gareth Sharp, North of England Team Manager for the England Talent Programme, Head of St Peter’s Cricket, First XI coach & Junior Boarding Houseparent (Wentworth), said: “Wills commanded the field and was a joy to watch with the bat. This was gold-standard cricket. I congratulate Wills on the valiant way he led by example as captain.”

The Cricket Talent of Cris

Wills’ talented teammate Cris sits third in the Wisden Schools bowling averages, a fine effort, after only converting to left-arm bowling in April.