The Cricketer Schools Guide 2019

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Schools Guide 2019 Staff Chief executive Guy Evans-Tipping Editor Simon Hughes Managing editor Huw Turbervill Assistant editor James Coyne Art director Geoff Barton Finance and subscriptions manager Chris Smith CricketArchive managing director Jim Hindson Digital editor Sam Morshead Digital journalist Tom Edwards Social media editor Owen Riley Customer service executive Jamie Crawley Commercial executive Ed Krarup

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COntents 4 Fields of learning 8 Learning to adapt 12 Top 100 secondary schools 79 Top 50 junior/prep schools 114 A–Z index Inclusion in the guide: every year we invite schools across the country to submit their entries.

Having collated the entries the judging panel scrutinises the schools against a number of criteria including facilities, fixture programmes and coaching setups to determine which should be included in the top 100 secondary schools, and top 50 prep and junior schools. We can, of course, only include the schools who submit an entry – so if you believe your school is worthy of consideration please do make sure you submit via www.thecricketer. com/goodschoolsguide or by emailing us at magazine@thecricketer.com

Curran, Buttler and co show schools rock It has been a wonderful summer for schools’ cricket. Sam Curran (Wellington College) was man of the series in the England–India Test series. Jos Buttler (King’s College, Taunton) could just as easily have been chosen. Alastair Cook (Bedford School) finished his titanic Test career with a vintage century. Rory Burns (City of London Freemen’s) raised the County Championship trophy as captain of Surrey and was the season’s outstanding batsman.

The exciting Ollie Pope (Cranleigh) made his Test debut after only 15 first-class games.

Sam Billings (Haileybury) captained Kent superbly to drag them out of Division Two. The majority of England’s winter tour parties learnt the rudiments of the game at school.

The coaches and masters in charge of cricket must be doing something right. The work they do, the time they put in, the extra hours they devote, is rarely properly acknowledged.

This special supplement – now in its fourth year, and with 50 prep schools for the first time – goes some way to doing so, giving at least some of these unheralded champions of cricket a namecheck. Many of the groundsmen deserve one too, for all those unstinting hours they put in to those ‘little treasures’ – a decent surface to practise and play on. Many of our school grounds are the envy of the cricketing world.

The standard of school cricket is, from my perspective, advancing all the time.

The power and range of school batsmen is highly impressive, not to say intimidating.

I wouldn’t fancy bowling at many of these players. In fact one reverse swept me for four this year. No respect, is there?!

The improvements apply to girls’ cricket too, by the way. Quite a number have made it into their school (boys’) 1st XI. It was a special moment for me this year to see my daughter opening the batting with her younger brother against MCC – and they put on 40!

The uptake in girls’ cricket at schools up and down the country has been remarkable. I have seen whole cricket fields, formerly the domain of boys, covered in girls’ matches. We’ve reflected that in our selections this year.

It may not be long before we are highlighting some of our best educational establishments for producing new recruits to the England women’s team.

Congratulations to all of you for your inclusion in this supplement.

Keep up the good work.

Simon Hughes Editor @theanalyst

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On t he cover

Kimbolton (main), plus Papplewick, Rugby, Uppingham and Woodcote schools

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SCHOOLS GUIDE 2019

FIELDS OF LEARNING HUW TURBERVILL RUNS HIS EYE OVER THE CRICKETER’S 100 SCHOOLS, AND FINDS EXCELLENCE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, GREEN SHOOTS OF RECOVERY IN THE STATE, AND A BLOSSOMING SCENE FOR THE GIRLS’ GAME

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h to be at school again. Reading some of the entries in this supplement, it is incredible what some offer. Youngsters in the first teams are playing about 20–30 fixtures a summer. They have the choice of about 10 nets at their schools. They go on pre-season tours to South Africa, Dubai and India. They receive one-on-one coaching, and have their techniques analysed by computer and video.

There is no doubt our private schools are doing a fine job producing young cricketers who go on to enjoy good careers with counties, and even countries.

This is not just a private function, however. This year there are five state schools, seven grammar and one partially selective grammar – and some uplifting tales among them.

There are newcomers Burford School, where Gilbert Jessop taught, no less – a state boarding school that offers competitive cricket in six age groups for boys and girls.

Then there is Myerscough College in Preston. They play about 35 fixtures per year, and have use of the indoor facilities at Lancashire CCC. There is South Gloucestershire and Stroud College, who have four – yes, four – graduates in the Gloucestershire 1st XI: Chris Dent, Craig Miles, James Bracey and George Drissell.

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And there is Shenfield High School, who have won more than 100 Essex indoor and outdoor boys and girls’ competitions since 2003. They reached the semi-final of the National Schools under-17 competition in 2016, losing narrowly to Millfield.

The charity Chance to Shine also do an excellent job in the state sector. They work with 39 county boards, and help 461,275 youngsters a year, in their schools and street programmes – 48 per cent of whom are girls. Youngsters from the most deprived areas of the United Kingdom account for 30 per cent of that total.

They want to do more, though. They are reaching one in five primary schools, one in three secondary, and one in five special.

For further reading, check out their case studies at Bethesda, North Wales (where lunchtime trials saw 178 pupils turn up for some bat and ball at Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen School); and Brooke Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School in Norfolk, where their concrete playground becomes ‘The Oval’ (the school has no green sites).

The other noticeable thing after reading the top 100 and top 50 is the really big rise in girls’ cricket now – like at Ormskirk School, who have a team in every year group.

The Cricketer also reported this summer on how women

Above: Ormskirk School professionals are playing against the schools as a way of ensuring they face seamers of comparable pace to their own game, and on good pitches.

England Women geared up for their summer series against South Africa and New Zealand by taking on Bede’s School, from Sussex, in a T20 match at their terrific ground within sight of the English Channel.

It was even more informative for the school players.

“It was a brilliant experience for our lads,” said Alan Wells, the former Sussex captain who is director of cricket at Bede’s. “It rammed it home to our guys when we needed 50-something off two overs – so we had no chance to win, really – and yet Tammy Beaumont was out on the boundary still diving full stretch to save runs. It was a great learning curve for us.”

We also heard how Bethany School’s under-13 girls’ team celebrated an unbeaten first season.

The school in Goudhurst, Kent, defeated Ashford

Above: Myerscough College in Preston

Right: Burford College Below: Rugby School

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SCHOOLS GUIDE 2019 School, Dover College, Buckswood and Gad’s Hill.

The Cricketer team also visited Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Elstree, Hertfordshire. They love cricket and thinks it complements academia, not hinders it.

When a school has cricket on the front cover of its prospectus, it is a clear clue that they take our beloved game seriously.

This is illustrated by the excellent practice facilities, with video-analysis equipment; to a coaching staff topped by former Middlesex and Kent seam bowler Jamie Hewitt; to the pretty ground in front of the stately home, Aldenham House – part of the school’s 100-acre site. The school has spent £18m on sport in four years.

We also heard of the schoolboy exploits of Ben Charlesworth, now in Gloucestershire’s 1st XI, who put Marlborough College to the sword.

It was the kind of drubbing that could haunt a lad for life: St Edward’s School, Oxford, defeated their hosts by a whopping 404 runs.

Teddies, as the school is known, were anything but cuddly as they racked up 467 for 3 in 50 overs. Charlesworth, a left-hander, made 201.

International players are also using the playing fields of England as part of their development.

IPL star Prithvi Shaw was in the India tour party this summer – a considerable source of pride for a school in Stockport. Shaw, 18, was captain of the India side that triumphed in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand in February.

He made 261 runs at 65 in the tournament, as India beat Australia by eight wickets with 11.1 overs remaining at Mount Maunganui. On Test debut against West Indies he made 134 at Rajkot this autumn.

Shaw is grateful to the charity Cricket Beyond Boundaries, founded in 2011 by former English Universities wicketkeeper and surgeon, Dr Samir Pathak.

Initially established to bring promising young Indian

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Above: Bradfield College

Below: Haberdashers’ Aske’s School

cricketers from poor backgrounds to train and play in the UK, CBB brought Shaw over in 2012 following recommendations from journalist Makarand Waingankar and former Indian spinner Nilesh Kulkarni. Shaw attended the 160-year-old Cheadle Hulme School in Cheshire, where he stayed with the Milligan family.

Over the summer, he attended lessons in the mornings, while fitness sessions, technical drills and school matches in the afternoons honed his cricket. Despite the vastly different conditions to those he was accustomed to – his first game was played in 8˚C! – his prodigious talent shone through; by the end of the season he had accumulated 1,446 runs at 85, while also taking 68 wickets with his off-spin.

British schools are a breeding ground for talent, of that there is no doubt.

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SchoolS Guide 2019

LEARNING TO ADAPT EXAMS AND CLUB CRICKET HAVE FORCED MANY SCHOOLS TO HAVE A RETHINK, WRITES PAUL EDWARDS

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ummer Saturdays stretching deep into golden evenings; printed fixture lists as venerable as The Book of Common Prayer; pitches of firstclass standard and players whose names are put down for MCC membership on their 16th birthdays; spacious pavilions, their walls crammed with boards listing the XIs from innocent eras; fathers watching their sons take the field and thinking this game stands for so much more than itself.

Well, yes. Look carefully and you will still observe such scenes in the English season. Independent schools face a range of challenges but many hold fast to their traditions.

The great boarding schools, in particular, take advantage of their pupils’ availability to offer coaching throughout a week that may already be packed with academic commitments. Matches against familiar rivals are great occasions. Eton still play Harrow at Lord’s.

But you would be mistaken to imagine that nothing has changed in the private sector. The pressure on pupils to get good grades in GCSEs and A Levels and the desire of the most talented cricketers to play for their clubs on Saturdays have led to changes in the way some masters in charge of cricket run their particular ships. The adjustments have been most noticeable in Headmasters’ Conference (HMC) schools that do not accommodate boarders yet not all the changes have been detrimental to the cricket played in those places.

“The biggest change has been the way in which exams have affected the availability of boys,” reflected Simon Sutcliffe, who has been the master in charge of cricket at Merchant Taylors’, Crosby since 2011. “Increasingly we have public exams before half-term but that’s improved now that most boys in the lower sixth don’t sit any of those. The other change has been the way in which club

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cricket has impinged on the school game. Merseyside clubs in the Liverpool Competition are increasingly willing to select younger players and we have people getting picked for their club’s first team when they are 15 or 16. From their perspective it’s better for them to be playing for that first team than for the school, so there is this clash of interests.

“The parents have a lot of influence and it’s become increasingly difficult to oblige boys to play. At our place I’ve given up on that issue and last season we decided we weren’t going to play senior cricket on Saturdays at all. The boys now play for their clubs but the quid pro quo is that we want them to do the very best they can to be available on Wednesdays. They end up playing 17 or 18 games but none of them on Saturdays. The downside is that I’ve had to pretty much abandon timed cricket, so we start at 1.30 or 2.00 and play 35- or 40-over games. That is regrettable, I think. On the other hand the boys are playing timed cricket of a good standard in the Competition and the positive impact that’s had on my teams has been remarkable. The boys have become much better players and I’ve had really good teams over the past couple of years.”

One might think it would be difficult to generalise about independent schools. Each of them, after all, makes much of its particular characteristics and regards them as selling points to potential customers. But Sutcliffe’s experience is shared by coaches across the country. “Most schools are under pressure from parents and there are those who are prepared to tell me their son isn’t playing in a particular week,” said David Ward, the former Surrey batsman who is master in charge at Whitgift School, Croydon. “However you approach it, the parents have the final say and it is becoming more difficult. I find my counterparts at other schools have the same problem.”

One of the results of these developments is that coaches now meet on a regular basis to discuss a common

approach to the changed circumstances. In the north-west a dozen HMC schools including The Manchester Grammar School and King’s, Chester have set up a merit league in which each school has to play a minimum of six matches with points allocated according to the length of the match.

It gives the fixture list an element of competition – some bright spark at the ECB would call it “context” – and it is apparently working well. While both Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, Crosby and King’s Chester have opted not to play on Saturdays Merchants have discovered they retained their block fixtures by which all their junior teams played counterparts in another school on a particular day.

Pictures: MCC Foundation Hub Day at Lord’s

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Schools Guide 2019

The majority of cricketers at independent day schools understand how privileged they are but the pressures have never been greater to balance the enjoyment of those privileges with satisfying a university’s A-Level requirements or fulfilling a county’s desire that its best young talents should play Premier League cricket. So perhaps it is appropriate that the facilities at many independent schools are now also being made available on a limited basis to boys and girls aged 11–15 from the state sector. The scheme by which this is achieved is run by the MCC Foundation which finances the establishment of coaching hubs at independent schools. The school makes its facilities available free of charge during the Lent term and the foundation appoints a hub manager who organises coaching for gifted cricketers from the local area.

The scheme began in 2011 with the establishment of six Hubs. In 2019 over eight times that number will operate at schools such as Charterhouse, Eastbourne College, Oundle, Bradford Grammar School, Dulwich College and Magdalen College School in Oxford. Bolton School operates one of the longest established hubs and Andy Compton, the master in charge of cricket, is well qualified to assess their impact.

“We’ve operated over eight cycles with under 13 and 15 groups and we have taken them at younger ages,” he said.

“Our numbers in each group have been in the mid-teens or early 20s, so we must have put 350 to 400 boys through the scheme plus some girls. Virtually all the secondary schools in the area take advantage of it and that’s about 16 schools. We’ve linked up with almost all the 24 clubs in the Bolton area and we’re drawing lads from beyond that.

If anyone needs it, I have a couple of coaches who are well known within Bolton clubs but we find most of the boys who are recommended to us already have a connection with clubs. All the same, Bolton is giving an opportunity to boys and girls who wouldn’t get it through their school and wouldn’t get it free in any other context. The school donates its facilities and MCC Foundation funds the coaching. We do get lads coming to us who would not otherwise get coaching of that sort.”

Within the general pattern each hub operates in its own way. While Bolton is rich in cricket clubs, the same cannot be said of Tower Hamlets, where another hub has been set up. In that area of London opportunities are given to 10 | thecricketer.com

‘However you approach it, the parents have the final say and it is becoming more difficult. I find my counterparts at other schools have the same problem’ young cricketers whose talent may have been unearthed by the Chance to Shine programme and who are now keen to take the next step. Despite their best efforts, their schools cannot help them, so MCC Foundation’s contribution is particularly valuable. Tower Hamlets may not be typical – perhaps there is no such thing as a typical hub – but its foundation helps to justify the faith of Foundation trustee and former MCC president, Roger Knight, whose vision helped to see the hubs established in the first place.

“Initially it was quite difficult because quite a few young cricketers had never been to clubs and they had no family connection with them,” said Knight. “But the local coaches we use often work at the club as well and there is a natural transition. We’re giving both boys and girls a chance to get into the game properly, which they wouldn’t be able to do unless someone was saying: ‘Look, here’s a club. Why don’t you come along and play in a team here?’ That personal contact is so important.”

The results of all this effort are impressive. In 2017 the Foundation gave access to high-quality coaching to 1,473 cricketers of which 448 went on to play at district, county or borough level. One girl and three boys who attended the hub at Eastbourne were later awarded full sports scholarships at the College. Of course all these cricketers were talented in the first place and had to attend pre-Christmas trials so that their level of ability could be judged. But Knight’s gospel of opportunity has attracted high-profile support. “I would like to see an MCC Foundation hub in every town in the UK,” said Mike Brearley.

If the enthusiasm of those in charge of the hubs is any guide, that day may come. In the meantime those interested in becoming a Friend of MCC Foundation – it costs as little as £25 per year – can email info@mccfoundation.org.uk, or ring 0207 616 8529. “We need to get these youngsters playing,” said Knight. “If they play cricket, they will end up watching the game as well.”

Bede’s Cricket Achievements

1st XI Sussex Champions – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018 1st XI South East Regional Champions – 2011, 2012, 2013 1st XI South of England Champions – 2012, 2013 1st XI National Runners Up – 2012, 2013 U15 ESCA National Champions and Sussex Champions – 2017 Girls’ U15 Lord’s Taverners National Finalist – 2011 U13, U14 Sussex Champions – 2015, 2016 Girls’ U13 Sussex Champions – 2017

Bede’s Alumni Callum Jackson – Sussex CCC and England U19 Ollie Rayner – Sussex CCC, Middlesex CCC, England U19 and England Lions Luke Wells – Sussex CCC, England U19 and England Lions Shai Hope – Barbados and West Indies Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex CCC Delray Rawlins – Sussex CCC and England Young Lions

Coaching Staff

Alan Wells (ECB Level 4) Sussex CCC, Kent CCC and England Neil Lenham (ECB Level 3) Sussex CCC Petch Lenham (ECB Level 3) James Kirtley (ECB Level 3) Sussex CCC and England

Bede’s Senior School Upper Dicker East Sussex BN27 3QH bedes.org

HMC – Day, weekly and full boarding Boys and girls 13 to 18 For more information please contact: richard.mills@bedes.org T 01323 843252

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

BEDE’S SCHOOL // BEDFORD SCHOOL

BEDE’S SCHOOL Upper Dicker Hailsham East Sussex BN27 3QH Established 1979 Number of pupils 750 Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Hampton, Tonbridge, Charterhouse, Whitgift Director of cricket Alan Wells (Sussex, Kent & England) Cricket professionals Neil Lenham (Sussex), James Kirtley (Sussex and England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB, U14AB Girls’ cricket U18 and U15 Facilities Six indoor nets, eight outdoor artificial nets, four grass squares Club/county affiliation Sussex Brief history Cricket has gone from strength to strength under successive headmasters who are both cricket fans. Employing a professional coach 15 years ago has helped gain national

BEDFORD SCHOOL De Parys Avenue Bedford Bedfordshire MK40 2TU Established 1552 Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow, Shrewsbury, Bromsgrove, Stowe Director of cricket Gary Steer (Derbyshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U17, U16, U15ABCD, U14ABCDE. Prep School – 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, U11ABCDEF, U10ABC, U9ABC, U8ABC Facilities Six indoor nets, 13 outdoor grass nets, six outdoor artificial nets, seven grass squares Club/county affiliation Bedfordshire Brief history Records go back to 1886 but it is in recent years that Bedford has become one of the leading cricket schools. They won the under-17 tournament in 2010 and 2014, and twice made T20 finals day. The Alastair Cook Room in the refurbished pavilion is a daily 12 | thecricketer.com

Alan Wells Director of cricket

recognition. It has consistently helped develop county youth cricketers, both male and female.

Employing three former firstclass cricketers who played for Sussex demonstrates the level of commitment the school has to reminder of his inspiration Cricketers of note Alastair Cook (Essex & England), Alex Wakely, Toby Bailey, Ian Peck, Christian Davis (all Northants), James Kettleborough (Northants &

develop cricketers. Academies at all age groups and cricket as part of the curriculum Cricketers of note Ollie Rayner (Sussex & Middlesex), Luke Wells, Callum Jackson, Fyn HudsonPrentice (all Sussex), Shai Hope Glamorgan), Will Smith (Notts, Durham & Hampshire), Adrian Shankar (Worcestershire & Lancashire), Brian Disbury (Kent) Extras The ground has hosted Bedfordshire games since 1895, and

(West Indies). Hope, who would spend hours with Wells grooving his game, was one of the Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year following his twin centuries at Headingley last summer Best prospects Archie Lenham, opening batsman and legspinner Extras The option for Year 9s to choose cricket as part of their curriculum and also drop a GCSE for those potentially on a career pathway Finest moment on the field National runners-up in 2012 and 2013. Winning the county cup seven times in the last 10 years Cultural cricketers The pavilion is named after former Cricketer editor Christopher MartinJenkins, who went to Bede’s Prep Bede’s Prep School: p82 more recently Northamptonshire 2nd XI matches Finest moment on the field Cook scoring a record 1,287 runs with five centuries in 2003. He trained for hours with coach Derek Randall

bishop’s s t or t ford college // BLUNDELL’S school

BISHOP’S STORTFORD COLLEGE 10 Maze Green Bishop’s Stortford Hertfordshire CM23 2PJ Established 1868 Notable fixtures 125 fixtures (senior school 53, prep school 72) MCC, Haileybury, Brentwood, Ipswich, Colchester RGS, Chigwell Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB. Prep school – 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI, U11ABCD, U11AB girls, U9AB, U9AB girls Head of cricket Matt Drury Number of pupils 1,180 Girls’ cricket Four teams playing inter-school matches in the prep school. Weekly training sessions and a number of girls play for Bishop’s Stortford CC women’s team in the Southern League, alongside former England captain Charlotte Edwards Facilities Three main squares (senior school), four main squares (prep school), 14 artificial outdoor nets, two mobile net cages, two indoor nets Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire, who use the main ground for one and two-day representative matches. Bishop’s Stortford CC give boys and girls a chance to play a good standard of club cricket. Boys and girls play for Herts and Essex at various age groups Cricketers of note Graham Doggart (Middlesex & Cambridge University); CH Titchmarsh (MCC)

toured New Zealand and West Indies in the early 1920s Best prospect Year 10 William Cutlan-Smyth is already making an impact and is in the Essex academy Extras John Childs, head scout for the Graham Gooch Academy at Essex, attends summer matches. The college offers sports scholarships and an elite cricket programme providing three sessions a week in the off-season.

Regular 1st XI pre-season tours to Cape Town. The Doggart pavilion – noted for its modern architectural style – was opened in 1933 and presented by the Doggart family.

The outfield is one of the best in the region, having been used by Herts for two-day matches and international hockey until the 1970s. The 1st XI finished fourth in the 2016 RNCF Cricket Shield for prep schools. Alex Portas (Year 13) captained Hertfordshire U17s and plays for Bishop’s Stortford 1st XI Finest moment on the field The college was the first UK school to tour Sri Lanka, in 1985/86 and played in the inaugural Sir Garfield Sobers International Cricket Schools Festival in Barbados. The school went to Cape Town in 2018, and plan to go back there in 2022, and to Dubai in 2020 Cultural cricketers Sir Stephen Lander, director general of MI5

Matt Drury Head of cricket

BLUNDELL’S SCHOOL Blundell’s Road Tiverton Devon EX16 4DN Established 1604 Number of pupils 600 Notable fixtures 18 1st XI games, MCC, Millfield, King’s Taunton, Sherborne, Clifton Director of cricket Liam Lewis (Devon & Loughborough UCCE) Cricket professionals Alfonso Thomas (Somerset & South Africa), Julian Wyatt (Somerset & Devon) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12AB Girls’ cricket 1st XI, U15, U13 teams, with girls also playing in the boys’ teams on merit. Girls’ cricket is growing in popularity and a number of students play for Devon age groups Facilities Indoor sports hall (two nets), outdoor all-weather facility (four nets), 12 grass nets and six cricket squares. Fitness suite for training during winter months Club/county affiliation Heathcoat CC (Devon Premier League), Devon, Somerset Brief history The earliest record of a Blundell’s cricket match took place in September 1844 against the Tiverton club. Since then, the school has produced many cricketers, including four who were part of the Devon County Wanderers team that won the Olympic gold medal for cricket for Great Britain at Paris in 1900 – the last time the sport was included in the Olympics Cricketers of note Vic Marks (Somerset & England), Dominic

Bess (Somerset & England), Jeremy Lloyds (Somerset & Gloucestershire), Hugh Morris (Glamorgan & England), Samuel Wyatt-Haines (Somerset), Ulrick Considine (Somerset), Royston Gabe-Jones (who played for Glamorgan in 1922, while still a 15-year-old at Blundell’s), John Davies (Wales) and Roger Davies (Glamorgan) Best prospect Jo du’Gay (U15) Extras The school hosts matches for boys and girls at all age levels from under-11 through to the full county club and women’s teams. Venue for the David Shepherd Great Cricket Picnic in July, raising funds to promote youth cricket.

The school also has a hospitality box at Taunton, kindly donated

by Sir Christopher Ondaatje for use by pupils, parents and Old Blundellians. Proposed tour to Sri Lanka in 2020. The school has become the East Devon regional coaching centre Finest moment on the field A recent Devon v Wales match featured five Old Blundellians who have all captained the school. Nine Old Blundellians have represented Devon in the Minor Counties Championship in the last eight years Cultural cricketers AV Hill (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine), Ondaatje (author and philanthropist), Michael Mates (politician), Tristan Evans (drummer with The Vamps), Jack Maunder (England rugby), Dave Lewis (Exeter Chiefs rugby), Ben ‘The Stig’ Collins, Richard Sharp (England rugby captain) and Clem Thomas (Wales rugby captain) • Blundell’s Prep School: p84

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS BRADFIELD COLLEGE Reading Berkshire RG7 6BZ Established 1850 Number of pupils 777 Notable fixtures 28 1st-team fixtures against the leading schools in the south of the country, complemented by matches against the Berkshire and Hampshire Academies, Free Foresters, MCC and the Bradfield Waifs. The boys have the opportunity to play all formats, from 20 overs to a two-day declaration game against Malvern College Director of cricket Mike Hill Current cricket professional Julian Wood (ex-Hampshire) is the full-time professional, who works with the ECB, Big Bash franchises and IPL sides and the England teams on his powerhitting programme during the

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BRADFIELD COLLEGE

school holidays. Recently he was working with Joe Root at 7.30am before racing back to Bradfield to coach the 1st XI after lunch Teams 13 boys’ XIs at all age groups (U14–U18) Girls’ cricket 4 teams from U14–U18. Girls cricket is now considered a major sport –girls choose to play either tennis or cricket and so are not pulled in multiple directions Facilities Five indoor nets, nine astro nets, 13 grass nets, seven outdoor pitches Club/county affiliation Bradfield work closely with numerous first-class and minor counties.

Boys currently play for Surrey, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Brief history Cricket is centred around Pit, the iconic main ground, once named by Ted Dexter as one of the most beautiful in the world.

The bowling record – Michael Mence’s 84 wickets in 1962 – looks

like it will never be beaten due to the increase in limited-overs fixtures, but his batting record from the same year was smashed in 2015 by Harry Came (greatgrandson of former England spinner Walter Robins) who is the first Bradfieldian to 1,000 in a season Cricketers of note Graham Roope (Surrey & England), Mark Nicholas (Hampshire & England A), Rupert Cox, Will Kendall, Hamza Riazuddin and Richard Morris (all Hampshire), Ryan Higgins (Gloucestershire and Middlesex), Tom Jewell and Gus Atkinson (Surrey), Mence (Warwickshire), Prithvi Shaw (India) Best prospect Lauren Bell currently plays for the England Women’s Senior academy and is working towards earning her first England senior cap Extras Wood is in great demand from the world’s leading batsmen, who are keen to find out about his power-hitting programme, based

out of Loughborough. Every two years a combined U14 and U15 team goes to Dubai, currently in the planning stages for a senior tour to Sri Lanka in 2020 Finest moment on the field Watching a 15-year-old Sachin Tendulkar clear the River Pang was an extraordinary event. Shaw, the new Indian batting prodigy, spent a summer at the college aged 13 Cultural cricketers Nicholas, host of Cricket On 5 in the UK, and big in Australia, after many years on the Channel 9 commentary team as successor to the great Richie Benaud

BREN T WOOD SCHOOL // BRIGH T ON COLLEGE

BRENTWOOD SCHOOL Middleton Hall Lane Brentwood Essex CM15 8EE Established 1557 Number of pupils 1100 Notable fixtures 19 1st XI fixtures, MCC, Felsted Director of cricket Steve Salisbury Cricket professional Jaik Mickleburgh (Essex) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12ABC Girls’ cricket Introduced with teams at U13 & U15 level Facilities Four indoor nets, six outdoor nets and six grass pitches Club/county affiliation Essex Cricketers of note Stanley Scott (Middlesex), Charles Kortright, Colin Griffiths, Graham Horrex, David Acfield, Richard Baker, Max Osborne, Ian Pont, Kishen Velani, Thomas Moore (all Essex) Best prospect Robin Das Extras The school has strong links with Essex CCC and local clubs in the county. Former Essex batsman

BRIGHTON COLLEGE Eastern Road Brighton East Sussex BN2 0AL Established 1845 Number of pupils 1,003 Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Women, XL Club Director of cricket Mike Smethurst (Lancashire) Cricket professional Matt Machan

Brian Hardie made way as cricket professional after 25 years for 2005 Ashes hero Geraint Jones, fresh from helping Gloucestershire to Royal London One-Day Cup glory in 2015. He spent two years in the role, and now his replacement is former Essex batsman Jaik Mickleburgh, still scoring heavily

for Suffolk. The school has an active touring programme and recently toured Sri Lankan with two sides Cultural cricketers Among the former cricketers at Brentwood is ex-Chelsea and England footballer Frank Lampard, who loves the game

(Sussex & Scotland) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15ABC, U14ABC Girls’ cricket 1st XI, U15 and U13 sides. The best girls play in the boys’ teams. Brighton also enter teams into the Lady Taverners indoor tournament during the winter Facilities Two grounds. Two grass squares, one astro wicket. Nine astro nets, 3 grass nets. No current indoor facilities due to building work on new sport and science building

Club/county affiliation Sussex Brief history Brighton College is the most successful girls’ cricket school in the country. The cricket programme is the most comprehensive for females, and Brighton has churned out more England women’s cricketers than any other school. Added to that, Georgia Adams and Freya Davies are on the England Academy and Izzy Collis in the Southern Vipers squad Cricketers of note Sammy Woods (Somerset, England & Australia), Matt Prior (Sussex & England), Matt Machan (Sussex & Scotland), Carl Hopkinson, Neil Lenham (both Sussex), Joe Gatting (Sussex & Hampshire), Michael Thornely (Sussex & Leicestershire), Malcolm Waller (Zimbabwe), Bazid Khan (Pakistan), Holly Colvin, Sarah Taylor, Laura Marsh (all England

Steve Salisbury Director of cricket

Women). Georgia Adams and Freya Davies have been on the England academy. Clare Connor was a true pioneer in women’s cricket, captaining England and heading women’s cricket at the ECB. At Brighton College she was the first girl to play in the school 1st XI. Sammy Woods played Test Cricket for England and Australia and played rugby for England 13 times, five as captain Best prospect Ravi Jadav Extras September 2019 will see the opening of a new £55m sport and science building. Since 2014 the 1st XI have toured Dubai and the U15s and the girls have gone to Sri Lanka Finest moment on the field In June 2016, the 1st XI tied two consecutive games – against MCC and Ardingly – within three days, on the same wicket Clare Connor is ECB director of women’s cricket thecricketer.com | 15

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

BROMSGROVE SCHOOL // BURFORD SCHOOL

BROMSGROVE SCHOOL Worcester Road Bromsgrove Worcestershire B61 7DU Established 1553 Number of pupils 1,500 Notable fixtures More than 180 fixtures a year. Shrewsbury, Sedbergh, Malvern, Millfield Director of cricket Dave Fallows Teams U18ABCD, U15ABCD, U14ABCD, U13ABCD, U12ABCD, U11ABCD, U10ABCD, U9ABCD Girls’ cricket U15 and U13 sides, with an enhanced strength and conditioning programme and player mentoring Facilities Six grounds, eight-lane indoor arena, four-lane sports hall, five-lane outdoor facility Club/county affiliation Worcestershire and Warwickshire.

Worcestershire age groups train all year round on site Brief history Bromsgrove has a strong cricketing history, which sees many old boys returning to reminisce over. They regularly reach the latter stages of national competitions. The school tour overseas every two years – next to

BURFORD SCHOOL Cheltenham Road Burford Oxfordshire OX18 4PL Established 1571 Number of pupils 1,400 Notable fixtures 40 fixtures, MCC Director of cricket Bill Williams Teams 1st XI, U17, U15, U14, U13, U12

Sri Lanka at Easter 2020 Cricketers of note Ben Cox (Worcestershire), Jonathan Webb, Matt Lamb (both Warwickshire) Best prospect Fahd Janjua. His recent innings of 90 not out in the Chesterton Cup final against Malvern at New Road was “in a different class” Extras Bromsgrove retains strong Girls’ cricket U13 and U15 Facilities Three outdoor nets, two indoor nets, one grass square and a thatched pavilion Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire Brief history Burford is a state boarding school which offers competitive cricket at six different levels for boys and girls. The first recorded match was in 1893 and cricket has been played continually ever since. The thatched pavilion was erected in 1936 and was re opened, after refurbishment, by Luke Ryan, Oxfordshire captain, in 2016, prior to the 1st XI v MCC match, which was drawn. There has been an annual house cricket festival since the 1950s

Bill Williams Director of cricket

16 | thecricketer.com

links with the Lyttelton family of Worcestershire. The 10th Viscount Cobham was himself a first-class cricketer for Worcestershire, and was peripherally involved in the D’Oliveira Affair of 1968. Although not Old Bromsgrovians themselves, the family engaged with the Old Bromsgrovian Martlets cricket side, and held an annual match Cricketers of note Gilbert Jessop (Gloucestershire & England), Joe Barrett (MCC YCs & Gloucestershire) Best prospect Henry FindlayWilson, who has represented the Gloucestershire academy for the past three years Extras Gilbert Jessop was a trainee teacher at the school in 1894 before going up to Cambridge,

against the school at Hagley Hall, Worcestershire, the family seat.

The last match of this kind was played in May 2015 between Old Bromsgrovians and Lord Cobham’s XI Finest moment on the field Winning the Chesterton Cup at New Road four years out of the last six and represented the 1st XI, scoring several centuries. He scored the fasted ever hundred, in terms of time, for England in Test matches: 104 in 77 minutes against Australia at The Oval in 1902 Finest moment on the field In 1993, the school hosted Yarra Valley High School from Melbourne to celebrate 100 years at the school.

The match was drawn

Accept no boundaries “The school successfully meets its aim to be a place of learning with a broad and balanced curriculum that enables all pupils to fulfil their potential in everything they undertake.” ISI Inspection 2017. We’re also incredibly proud to be included in the Cricketer’s Top 100 Schools for Cricket.

Come to an Open Morning or arrange a private visit. We look forward to welcoming you.

It’s more than just a game.

As our Cricket Professional, Jaik Mickleburgh knows, it’s about trust in your team, hours of practice when nobody’s watching and that hard-earned feeling of satisfaction.

Our pupils leave with more than grades.

Building Confidence for Life.

01279 838604 admissions@BishopsStortfordCollege.org

One of the UK’s leading independent schools in Brentwood, Essex for boys and girls aged 3-18

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Burford School Founded 1571

An outstanding day and boarding school for students aged 11-18

Unlocking potential

Inspiring futures office@burford.oxon.sch.uk 01993 823303 Unlocking potential Inspiring futures

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAR T ERHOUSE // CHELT ENHAM COLLEGE

CHARTERHOUSE Charterhouse Road Godalming Surrey GU7 2DX Established 1611 Notable fixtures Cowdrey Cup (Eton, Harrow, Tonbridge, Radley College, Wellington College), MCC, Cranleigh, Westminster, Winchester Cricket professional Martin Bicknell (Surrey & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABCD Facilities Four indoor nets with bowling machines, 18 artificial outdoor nets, seven grass squares, two artificial Club/count affiliation Surrey Cricketers of note Peter May (Surrey & England), James Hamblin and James Bovill (both Hampshire), Gregor McMillan (Gloucs and Leicestershire) Extras One of the prettiest grounds in the southeast. It dates back to 1859, when the school played a game against Marlborough College. It also hosted a 1972 John Player League game between Surrey and Warwickshire, and the 1992 and 2009 Bunbury Under-15 Festivals Finest moment on the field One-wicket win over Wellington College in 2017, after a 10th-wicket stand of 27

CHELTENHAM COLLEGE Bath Road Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 7LD Established 1841 Number of pupils 679 Notable fixtures 20 1st XI fixtures including Radley College, Rugby School, Marlborough, MCC

18 | thecricketer.com

Martin Bicknell Cricket professional

Director of cricket Matt Coley Cricket professional Mark Briers (Worcestershire & Durham) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U16A, U15ABC, U14ABC Girls’ cricket A Girls’ XI, plus four girls presently playing in the U14 and U15 boys’ teams.

The U15s won the 2015 Indoor Lady Taverners final for Gloucestershire Facilities Five cricket squares

plus the dedicated square for the Cheltenham Festival. Double sports hall with eight indoor nets.

Four artificial nets and four grass nets. Use of the Cheltenham Prep sports hall with a further four indoor nets Club/county affiliation Strong link with Gloucestershire CCC through the Cheltenham Festival and age-group representation.

Cricketer of note Percy Jeeves (Warwickshire), Mike Cawdron and Dom Hewson (both Gloucestershire), Josh Dell (England U19s & Gloucestershire 2nd XI), Oliver Soames (Hampshire) Best prospect Soames (who plays club cricket for Plumtree in Nottinghamshire) was listed in The Cricketer website’s 10 ECB Premier League players to watch in 2018, as rated by sports analyst Dan Weston Brief history Gloucestershire have been playing at Cheltenham College for more than 140 years, making this the world’s longest-running cricket festival

on an outground. WG Grace took 12 for 73 at the college for Gloucestershire v Surrey in 1872, then in 1877 he took 17 for 89 against Notts and promptly followed this up with the first-ever first-class triple-hundred, 318 not out. In 1928 against Surrey, Walter Hammond set a world record that still stands, taking 10 catches in an match by a fielder, then scored a century in each innings Extras Tour planned for Easter 2019 to the UAE to play in the ARCH U19 Trophy. Partnership in place with Charlton Kings Cricket Club providing use of the College’s facilities for training and fixtures.

Plans to host All Stars Cricket programme in 2019 Finest moment on the field The 1st XI were unbeaten against schools during 2012, winning 12 games in succession Cultural cricketers Ulster and Scotland rugby player Simon Danielli and Nick Abendanon (of Bath, Clermont Auvergne and England), both played cricket for the college

CL AY ESMORE

CLAYESMORE Blandford Road Iwerne Minster Dorset DT11 8LJ Established 1896 Number of pupils 475 Notable fixtures MCC, Canford, Sherborne, Bryanston Cricket professional Dan Conway (Oxford MCCU & Herefordshire) Teams U18ABCDE, U15AB, U14ABC Girls’ cricket One girls’ side officially introduced in 2017, with successful matches against other schools. Girls are also encouraged to join the boys’ teams and attend additional training opportunities in summer term Facilities Access to five cricket pitches across the whole site, 11 grass nets and four indoor lanes in the sports centre.

Club/county affiliation Dorset and Hampshire

Brief history Clayesmore School was founded by Alexander Devine, a GreekIrish Mancunian, in 1896 in Middlesex and, after spells at Pangbourne and Winchester, it moved to Iwerne Minster in 1933. In 1974 the school became fully co-educational. The alumni society has, for the past 57 years, run its own cricket week, enabling former students of all ages to reunite to take on former adversaries. For the past 20 years, the school has employed a cricket professional to coach the teams and oversee the development of the game at all ages Cricketers of note JWA Stephenson (Essex & Worcs), Lewis McManus (Hampshire) Best prospect Toby Berry, William Tripcony, Josh Parsons Extras Recent coaches have gone on to higher coaching honours.

Paul Warren now works as an analyst for New Zealand, and Tom Flowers is assistant coach of the

England Learning Disability team.

Clayesmore aim to try to support local club cricket wherever possible: Conway and other staff have coached at the local village club, Shroton CC, to reinvigorate their junior section. The recent success of alumni at professional and minor county levels are something that the school is particularly proud of.

The main school building is the scene of the chandelier smash in

Only Fools and Horses. Currently a number of students help coach the younger players at the local club on Friday evenings Finest moment on the field Beating MCC in the final over in 2016 Cultural cricketers Gloucester, Leicester and England centre Anthony Allen, America’s Cup winner Shannon Falcone and legendary artist Tony Hart

Dan Conway Head of Boys’ Games

thecricketer.com | 19

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CLIFTON COLLEGE Guthrie Road Clifton Bristol BS8 3EZ Established 1862 Number of pupils 1,200 Notable fixtures 20 1st XI fixtures including Sherborne, King’s Taunton, Bromsgrove, Cheltenham, Rugby (two-day game), MCC Director of cricket John Bobby Cricket professionals Mr Jim Williams (Glamorgan), Paul Romaines (Durham and Gloucestershire), Reggie Williams (Gloucestershire) Prep school James Averis (Gloucestershire), Gareth Roderick (Gloucestershire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13–U9ABCD Girls’ cricket Yes, with 10 sides 20 | thecricketer.com

CLIF T ON COLLEGE

between U15 and U9. There is the intention to take this further to a senior XI in the future Facilities Six cricket grounds, outdoor cricket school (10 artificial lanes, two specifically for bowling machine use), four indoor nets Club/county affiliation Gloucestershire, Somerset and Glamorgan Brief history “There’s a breathless hush in the Close to-night. Ten to make and the match to win.

A bumping pitch and a blinding light. An hour to play, and the last man in. And it’s not for the sake of a ribboned coat. Or the selfish hope of a season’s fame, But his captain’s hand on his shoulder smote. ‘Play up! Play up! And play the game!’” – Vitaï Lampada by Henry Newbolt, 1892. Newbolt wrote these lines about cricket on Clifton’s Close, and the sense of duty that could be taken to

war, making The Close famous throughout the cricketing world.

Seven years after Newbolt wrote the poem, 13-year-old AEJ Collins scored 628 not out in a match for Clarke’s House against North Town House, at a pitch on Guthrie Road, now named Collins Piece. Collins pursued a career in the army but died at Ypres in November 1914.

Until Pranav Dhanawade scored 1,009 not out for KC Gandhi High School in Mumbai in January 2016, Collins’ score was the highest for an individual in all cricket Cricketers of note James Kirtley (Sussex & England), Matt Windows (Gloucestershire), Jim Williams (Glamorgan), Will Rudge, James Pearson, James Whitby Coles (all Gloucestershire) Best prospect Prem Sisodiya (Old Cliftonian 2017, Glamorgan, England U19 World Cup 2018) Extras The school has a great

coaching structure, including help from Tim Hancock, Gloucestershire head of talent pathway. and a former county player. The 1st XI toured Sri Lanka in 2018. This followed a successful tour to the same destination in 2016. Last summer head groundsman Andy Matthews oversaw the re-laying of the square on the Close. The intention is to produce wickets that would be of a standard required for first-class cricket and then be in a position to host a full Gloucestershire match Finest moment on the field A seven-wicket win over Tonbridge School on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s in 2014. The fixture commemorated 100 years of the Clifton v Tonbridge fixture and to recall those who played in the fixture and died in the Great War Cultural cricketers John Cleese Clifton College (prep): p86

A proud tradition

of cricketing excellence 11+, 13+ and 16+ scholarships available

www.cliftoncollege.com The Cricketer.indd 4

18/10/2018 12:39:00

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS CRANLEIGH SCHOOL Horseshoe Lane Cranleigh Surrey GU6 8QQ Established 1865 Number of pupils 650 Notable fixtures 15 1st XI fixtures, MCC, Wellington College, Tonbridge, Harrow, Charterhouse Director of cricket Stuart Welch Master in charge Alex Forsdike Teams Five senior sides, three U15, three U14 Girls’ cricket U18 and U15 Facilities Dedicated two-lane indoor school, 20 outdoor nets, five squares including a six-bay net area with fully synthetic run-ups.

11 outdoor nets, and five squares, have recently been upgraded to ECB recommendations, including a six bay net area on the 1st XI pitch Club/county affiliation Surrey Brief history 2016 marked the 150th anniversary of Cranleigh’s first fixture, against Hurstpierpoint in June 1866. In 2017 six Old Cranleighans played first-class

CRANLEIGH SCHOOL // DOLL AR ACADEM Y

cricket (Stuart Meaker and Ollie Pope for Surrey, Michael Burgess for Sussex and three for MCC universities). Five of the six have left Cranleigh within the last five years Cricketers of note Seren Waters (Kenya & Durham MCCU), Stuart Meaker (Surrey & England), Ollie Pope (Surrey & England) and Michael Burgess (Sussex) Best prospects Tom Lawes, George Ealham, Tommy Ealham Extras Harry Calder was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1916 – when county cricket stopped due to the First World War – and remains the only person to be given the award and not play first-class cricket. He was a spinner for the 1st XI for five years, captaining them for three. A tour to Sri Lanka in 2019, after previous visits to India, South Africa and Kenya Finest moment on the field In 2016 the 1st XI broke the school record of 17 wins in a season and made T20 national finals day. Winners of The Cricketer Cup in 2014 and 2018 Cultural cricketers Former editor of The Cricketer, EW Swanton

DOLLAR ACADEMY Mylne Avenue Dollar FK14 7DU Scotland Established 1818 Number of pupils 1,275 Notable fixtures 13 fixtures in the season plus the 20-20 cup.

MCC, Glenalmond, Fettes, Merchiston Castle Cricket professional Peter Ross Director of cricket James Frost Number of teams 10 from U11–U18 Girls’ cricket U12 and U15 teams, lunch time and afterschool practices Facilities Three grass pitches and one astroturf pitch, nine nets, large indoor facilities Club/county affiliation Stirling CC, Kinross CC and Clackmannanshire CC Brief history Cricket is one of the principal sports at Dollar Academy. It is a wellresourced activity; the school has outstanding facilities and first-class coaching, which includes frequent visits from internationals. Cricket is played predominately in the summer term; there is also pre-season net practices for senior school

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boys in the autumn and spring terms, and indoor practice in spring, and some pre-season training in La Manga Professional cricketers Bryn Lockie (Scotland), Ross Mitchinson (Scotland), Kari Carswell (Scotland & manager of women’s cricket at Cricket Scotland) Best prospect Jamie Cairns has been selected for the Scotland U17 side. Jonhli Jordan, Harry Bell Future plans Pre-season training in Portugal Finest moment on the field Dollar had an incredible season in 2018 with both the U18 and U15 teams becoming Scottish schools champions in their respective age groups Extras Cricket at Dollar is played in one of the most picturesque settings in Scotland. The school hosts MCC outmatches and the facilities are used regularly by Cricket Scotland.

Dollar celebrated the school’s bicentenary in 2018 with an MCC match featuring four Dollar Academy pupils playing in the Scotland side to face MCC Cultural cricketers John Barclay (former Scotland rugby captain) played two seasons in the 1st XI

DR CHALLONER’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL // DULWICH COLLEGE

DR CHALLONER’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL Chesham Road Amersham Buckinghamshire HP6 5HA Established 1624 Number of pupils 1,300 Notable fixtures MCC, Eton Director of sport John Deadman Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15A-D, U14A-D, U13A-D, U12A-D Facilities Indoor sports hall with four lanes. One grass square Club/county affiliation Bucks Brief history Cricket has flourished at Dr Challoner’s over the last 10 to 15 years. Major improvements, courtesy of enthusiastic support

DULWICH COLLEGE Dulwich Common London SE21 7LD Established 1619 Number of pupils 1,600 Notable fixtures 20 1st XI fixtures MCC, Tonbridge, Harrow, Bedford, Incogniti (125 years standing), King’s Taunton, Ampleforth. All told, around 500 fixtures a summer Cricket professional Bill Athey (Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Sussex and England) Teams 45 from U8 to U18 Girls’ cricket Though they are a boys’ school, this year sees the first fixture against a team from James Allen’s Girls’ School – close friends and also part of the foundation of Alleynian schools. They also host fixtures on behalf of JAGS, when they play other girls’ schools Facilities Eight indoor nets in the sports hall, 14 outdoor nets (allweather), four all-weather strips and

from the headmaster, have included a new pavilion and relaid square, which have contributed to making cricket the flagship sport of the school. The junior teams often win the Bucks County Cup and have also had good success in the U13 and U15 national competitions. The passion for cricket comes from the committed Sport and PE team and a number of club cricketers on the staff. The school has regular tours to the Caribbean, generally St Kitts & Nevis, and to India in 2016. Lacking the level of investment of most independent schools, Dr Challoner’s compete very positively against the top schools in the area. The number of cricketers who carry on playing for their local club sides in the years after leaving school, and who play representative junior cricket for

Bucks, is a hugely positive aspect Cricketers of note Ali Birkby (England Under-16), Matthew Watson (Bucks and Oxford UCCE) Best prospect Nouman Aslam Extras The 2017 1st XI was in the

top 10 schools’ records in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. The school regularly wins the local county cup at different age groups.

Finest moment on the field ESCA semi-finals at U13 and U15 level

eight grass squares of varying sizes Club/county affiliation Surrey, Spencer CC, Dulwich CC Brief history Dulwich has a long and storied cricketing heritage. The first proper cricket fixtures began in 1873 when Dulwich played Christ’s Hospital, Epsom College and St Paul’s School. This was followed in 1874 with Tonbridge School, in 1882 with Bedford School and in 1883 with Brighton College. PG Wodehouse said the game was one of the major strengths there in his day. In the fairly recent past England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, the Netherlands and Surrey have all trained and practiced on our 1st XI field. Boys have the opportunity to represent the College for one of 45 sides, from the U8s up to the 1st XI and there is also a Common Room team Cricketers of note 79 Old Alleynians have played first-class cricket. Nine Old Alleynians have been capped for their country and four have been

named Wisden Cricketers of the Year, the most famous being Trevor Bailey, ‘the Barnacle’. Roger Knight (Surrey), the former MCC president, is an OA and a former assistant master and Arthur and Harold Gilligan are others. Several Barbadians have arrived and thrived on sports scholarships, including Anthony Alleyne (Combined Campuses & Colleges), Ruel Brathwaite (Durham & Hampshire), and Chris Jordan (Surrey, Sussex & England) Best prospect Lucas Brown (U12) – 500 runs in 2018, including two hundreds Extras There is a rumour that the nickname for deep midwicket, ‘cow corner’, originated at Dulwich College. In the fairly recent past England, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Netherlands and Surrey have all trained and practised on the 1st XI field. Recent tours have included a senior tour to Cape Town (February 2015) with fixtures against Bishops’ Diocesan College, Wynberg Boys’

and Rondebosch, among others, plus Desert Springs, Spain, this coming Easter Finest moment on the field The 2010 1st XI played 22 matches, including fixtures against Eton, Harrow and Tonbridge, winning every single one. In 2018, Anthony (Eddie) Alleyne was the topscoring schoolboy batsman in the country. Also, in the first three years of the HMC schools’ national 20/20 competition, Dulwich reached the final on each occasion, winning against Sherborne and losing against Repton and Millfield. All finals were played at Wormsley Cultural cricketers Wodehouse was in the XI in 1899 and 1900, and never lost his love for the game. Wodehouse wrote very many detailed and amusing accounts of cricket matches that were published in The Alleynian for many years after he left the College. Nigel Farage’s cricketing career at the school was less impressive

thecricketer.com | 23

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS DURHAM SCHOOL Quarryheads Lane Durham DH1 4SZ

DURHAM SCHOOL // E AS T BOURNE COLLEGE

other schools did not start until 1866 with the annual game against St Peter’s York. Other annual matches followed: Sedbergh in 1908; Ampleforth in 1915;

Giggleswick in 1933; Barnard Castle in 1937 and St Bees in 1938. The school currently has 17 boys from under-12 to under-17 representing Durham age groups

Established 1414 Notable fixtures Woodhouse Grove, Sedbergh, St Peter’s York, Ampleforth, Bradford Grammar, RGS Newcastle, Barnard Castle, MCC Director of cricket Michael Fishwick Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14AB, U13, U12 Girls’ cricket U15 and U13 teams at present but lots of talented girls are in the boys’ teams Facilities Indoor sports hall with four lanes. Main pitch on the playground and a smaller pitch on the bottom. Bow, the junior school, has a lovely little pitch of its own Club/county affiliation Durham and Durham City CC (17 boys from U12 to U19 representing Durham CCC) Brief history Durham School has had a cricket team from at least 1847, but regular matches with

EASTBOURNE COLLEGE Old Wish Road Eastbourne East Sussex BN21 4JY Established 1867 Number of pupils 630 Notable fixtures 120 fixtures including MCC, Sussex Martlets Cricket professionals Andy Waller (Zimbabwe) and Rob Ferley (Kent & Nottinghamshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15ABC, U14ABC Girls’ cricket Girls have a 1st XI and U15. Girls can be part of the cricket programme all year round as is on offer to any pupil who is interested in playing cricket Brief history There is a very strong tradition of cricket at Eastbourne College. The fixture list is highly competitive and includes the best schools in the south-east as well as a number of club sides including the MCC and Sussex Martlets. The school enters the National 20/20 cup

24 | thecricketer.com

and the county Langdale and Blackshaw 20/20 competitions. It enjoys close links with Eastbourne CC and has a strong relationship with Sussex CCC where several players have recently gained county representation at all levels Facilities Project 150, marking the school’s sesquicentenary, delivered a £33m investment in a world-class indoor five-lane facility, and was opened in April 2017. The College boasts five cricket squares and an eight-lane state-of-the-art all-weather practice facility Club/county affiliation Sussex and Eastbourne CC Cricketers of note Ed Giddins (Sussex, Warwickshire, Hampshire & England), Matt Hobden and Harry Finch (both Sussex) Finest moment on the field Winning the inaugural Arch Trophy in Dubai in 2008, beating Wellington College in the final.

Also being the first school side to tour Nepal as part of the same tour. Openers Henry Braybrooke and John Kelsey put on an

unbroken 403 at the college in 1899 Extras The Memorial Ground has hosted county fixtures and College Field is regarded as an iconic venue, situated right on the south coast. Pupils, staff and members of the public stop to lean over the wall to watch matches. It is quite remarkable that the square has rugby played on it during the Michaelmas Term. The fixture list is highly competitive and includes the best schools in the south-east as well as a number of clubs. The

Cricketers of note Mike Roseberry (Middlesex & Durham), Andrew Roseberry (Leicestershire & Glamorgan), Phil Weston (Worcestershire, Gloucestershire & Derbyshire), Robin Weston (Durham, Derbyshire & Middlesex), Gordon Muchall (Durham), Paul Muchall (Gloucestershire), Fraser Watts (Scotland) Best prospect Jonny Bushnell Extras TF Dodd, who attended the school from 1846–54, wrote: “Cricket was much the same as now, except that bowling above the level of the shoulder was not allowed. We had not the tremendous scores you now have” Finest moment on the field Beating Millfield by six wickets in 1992 – their first loss in 17 years Cultural cricketers Mike Weston, former centre for the British Lions, was England national selector and manager, taking charge of the England side in the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. He also played for Durham at cricket when they were still playing in the Minor Counties Championship

college also enters the National T20 Cup and the Langdale and Blackshaw T20 competitions.

One girl currently represents Sussex Women Cultural cricketers Comedian Eddie Izzard

Rob Ferley Cricket professional

ELIZ ABE T H COLLEGE

ELIZABETH COLLEGE La Grange St Peter Port GY1 2PY Guernsey Year established 1563 Number of pupils 555 Most notable fixture 66 fixtures, play in the men’s weekend second division Number of teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, Development squad, U14AB, U13AB, U12ABC Director of cricket Tom Eisenhuth List of facilities Three indoor nets, three grounds, two matting wickets, one grass wicket Brief history One of the mainstays of the Elizabeth College XI was Charles Corfe (1130), the second of the Principal’s five sons, all of whom were at the College. He won a scholarship to Cambridge and had a formidable sporting record at the university. He emigrated to New Zealand, where he became headmaster of Christ’s College, Christchurch, and was one of the figureheads in the development of New Zealand cricket. He achieved almost legendary status in the country

Club/county affiliation Guernsey Cricket Board, an Associate Member of the ICC Cricketers of note The bulk of Guernsey Cricket’s international squad. Of the 14-man squad that recently finished third in the ICC World League Division Five, eight players were Elizabeth College Old Boys, with four current 1st XI players in the national squad.

Recently Matthew Stokes, Will Farzackerly and Tom Nightingale have all been academy and 2nd XI players for Leicestershire. The captain of the College XI in 1869 and 1870 was George Bailey, who emigrated to Tasmania where he remains a cricketing hero. He was chosen to join Australia on its first visit to England in 1878. The team beat an MCC side which included the legendary WG Grace Best prospect Nathan Le Tissier – nephew of former Southampton footballer Matt Le Tissier Finest moment on the field In a 1st XI game against Melbourne Grammar, Anthony Stokes, in his knock of 78, reverse swept the fast bowler for six, hit eight boundaries and ran the field around for the best part of the evening. However, with one ball, one wicket and two runs to

win a looped throw to the bowler’s end had enough behind it to hit the stumps and give Melbourne the win. “Normally it would be about winning in these sections. However, on this occasion losing felt like a win as all 33 Grammar and College boys with their parents shared in a special evening in the sun” Extras Over the coming years the school aim to continue to overcome the issues of geography by playing in the National Schools T20 competition with the goal to

progress further in the competition while focusing on the longer format. In addition, they have expanded their biannual tour to Dubai to include two teams Cultural cricketers PG Wodehouse

Tom Eisenhuth Director of cricket

thecricketer.com | 25

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OUTSTANDING PROVISION IN A WORLD CLASS SETTING www.Eastbourne-College.co.uk T: 01323 452323 • E: admissions@eastbourne-college.co.uk • Join us on HMC INDEPENDENT SCHOOL • BOARDING AND DAY • BOYS AND GIRLS 13 TO 18

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Ellesmere College “We were impressed by the pupils; ambitious, enthusiastic and focused. Ellesmere opens a lot of doors” - TATLER 2017 | Excellent Sporting Traditions with 7 World Class Sports Academies | Flexible Day and Boarding Options | Generous Scholarships | Excellent GCSE, A-Level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate Results | Award-Winning Arts Provision and Co-Curricular Education To find out more and to register please contact:

01691 626 510 • www.ellesmere.com Thank you to our sponsors for their support this year we look forward to playing our fellow great cricketing schools in Guernsey and elsewhere in 2019 www.elizabethcollege.gg

Ellesmere College, Ellesmere, Shropshire, SY12 9AB

@ellesmerecoll

/EllesmereColl

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS ELLESMERE COLLEGE Ellesmere Shropshire SY12 9AB Established 1879 Number of pupils 550 Notable fixtures Over 100 fixtures MCC, Merchant Taylors’ Crosby, Shrewsbury, Birkenhead, Wrekin College, Shropshire Gentlemen Director of cricket Gareth Owen

EMANUEL SCHOOL Battersea Rise London SW11 1HS Established 1594 Number of pupils 870 Notable fixtures More than 175 fixtures MCC, Ignatius Park Queensland, City of London Freemen’s, Tiffin Director of cricket Tom Gwynne Cricket professional Mark Stear (Berkshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13 & U12 ABCD Girls’ cricket Cricket is now the main games option for the U11–U13 age groups. We also run U14 and U15 teams. The U13A and U11A teams have both qualified for the Surrey finals this year. We also have 5 girls currently representing the boys teams including Nancy Hughes,

Tom Gwynne Director of cricket

ELLESMERE COLLEGE // EMANUEL SCHOOL

Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U17, U15AB, U14AB, U13, U12, U11AB, U9 Girls’ cricket Seven teams. The School has recently been identified as a northern ‘super hub’ for Lydia Greenway’s Cricket for Girls initiative.

Ellesmere enter the Lady Taverners U13 and U15 Cricket competitions, reaching the national final in 2013 as regional champions. The college hosts county fixtures and festivals.

Facilities Three grass squares and one artificial, 12 grass nets, six outdoor

daughter of The Cricketer editor Simon, who is opening the batting for the 1st XI for the 2nd year in succession Facilities Two sites: the main school houses the main square – minutes away from Clapham Junction – and a junior square.

The school also has access to the Old Boys’ ground, Blagdon’s.

Sports hall includes four indoor nets, three outdoor nets, an artificial surface and one cage Club/county affiliation Surrey, Spencer CC, Bank of England CC, Barmy Army Colts Cricketers of note Stuart Surridge (Surrey), Ian Payne (Surrey & Gloucestershire), Izzy Cannon (England age-group girls) Best prospect Hughes (1st XI opening batsman and Middlesex women’s player) is said by the school to have a very good chance of making it to the top of the women’s game Brief history The first recorded captain of cricket, J Wheater, was appointed in 1891. The school became a voluntaryaided grammar in 1944 until it resumed independent status at the end of the 1970s. In 1995,

artificial nets, six indoor lanes Club/county affiliation Shropshire Brief history Ellesmere College was opened in 1884 and dedicated to St Oswald. It was Nathaniel Woodard’s seventh school. At the time of opening he was the subdean of Manchester Cathedral and Canon Woodard’s religious principles were central to the philosophy of his Anglican school’s foundation. By the time he died in 1891 he had founded 11 schools. Today the Woodard Foundation educates over 30,000 pupils across academy, independent and state-maintained schools providing high-quality education in an actively Christian school environment for all Cricketers of note Dewi PenrhynJones (Glamorgan) Best prospect Connor Davies played for Wales Minor Counties at Abergavenny, aged just 16 and is in the Glamorgan academy Extras The school has been ranked 40th out of 2,600 independents schools for sport, and is the

Emanuel returned to being a coeducational school Finest moment on the field Emanuel have been holders of both the London and Surrey Cups Extras The main school site is a beautiful setting next to the site of the Clapham Rail Disaster. The school field is immaculately kept given the use it sees throughout the rugby and cricket seasons and it surprises many visitors as passers-by will only see a set of school gates. Emanuel has hosted a number of high-level games, recently Sri Lankan Unity U19 XI v Trinity Schools’ Select XI, organised by the Foundation of Goodness, patronised by Sarah

leading school in Shropshire. The south-western side of the school, with its gothic façade, looks out over a quadrangle, terraces and playing fields towards the hills of Wales. Cricket tour planned for Easter 2019 to La Manga as a follow up to previous tour to Spain two years earlier Finest moment on the field Regional champions (Midlands) and semi-finalists of the National U14 ESCA/ECB 2015 National Competition, U15 Lady Taverner’s National Indoor Finals 2013, HMC T20 last 16 in 2016 Cultural cricketers The present Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor. Ex-England rugby captain Bill Beaumont, current president of World Rugby

Gareth Owen Director of cricket

Botham. The 1st XI will be touring Sri Lanka in 2018/19 Cultural cricketers Surridge is one of four Surrey presidents who went to Emanuel. Sir Tim Berners-Lee, founder of the world wide web, played for the school.

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin played 11-year-old Tom Riddle, the young version of the antagonist Lord Voldemort, in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but more notably represented Emanuel U13As in 2009. His Royal Highness Abdul-Hakeem (nephew of the Sultan of Brunei), Tom Smith (Scotland and British Lions), played U12/13, rugby player Dom Tripp

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS EPSOM COLLEGE College Road Epsom Surrey KT17 4JQ Established 1855 Number of pupils 900 Notable fixtures 20 1st XI fixtures MCC, XL Club, Eastbourne, Hurstpierpoint Director of cricket Damian Shirazi (Hampshire & England U19) Teams 20 teams from U12–U18 Girls’ cricket Teams throughout the school with current England internationals Nat Sciver (one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year in 2018) and Alice DavidsonRichards both coming through Epsom College Facilities Five grass squares with plans for a sixth, 10 astroturf cricket nets as well as a five-lane indoor cricket centre.

Brief history The school boasts some of the finest pitches in Surrey set among the beautiful

ETON COLLEGE Windsor Berkshire SL4 6DW Established 1444 Number of pupils 1,300 Notable fixtures Millfield, MCC, I Zingari, Harrow (at Lord’s), Cowdrey Cup (Radley, Tonbridge, Charterhouse, Wellington, Harrow), Silk Trophy (Shrewsbury, Oundle and one overseas side). The 1st XI have also played overseas teams St Peter’s Adelaide, Prince Alfred Adelaide, Melbourne Grammar, Scotch College Melbourne, Maritzburg, St Kentigerns, Christ College Canterbury. Recent opponents for junior sides include Bethnal Green Academy, Refugee Council Afghans, Brighton College Women, England Women Development XI, MCC Slough hub Director of cricket Richard Montgomerie (Northamptonshire & Sussex) Cricket professional Tim Roberts (Lancashire & Northants) 28 | thecricketer.com

EPSOM COLLEGE // E T ON COLLEGE

back drop of the Epsom Downs. It also hosts the annual Surrey Kwik Cricket festival that sees hundreds of local children take up cricket Club/county affiliation Surrey, Banstead CC and Ashtead CC Cricketers of note Sciver (England Women) FH Boult (England), SW Scott (England), Davidson-Richards (England Women), SR Wright (Leicestershire), H Pretty (Surrey) HJ Heygate, RB Heygate (Sussex), A Grace (Gloucestershire), NO Bennett (Middlesex) Best prospect William Hodgson – a member of the Surrey Academy structure Extras Before coming to Epsom, Sciver was born in Tokyo. Dubaibased academy team G Force spend three weeks at the school during the summer break. The 20 college coaches are supported by the expertise of Matt Holmes, director of the In-Touch Cricket Academy, based at the college.

College teams have recently toured Dubai and Barbados. The Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI, U16ABCD, U15ABCDEF, U14ABCDEFG Facilities Three indoor nets, two grass nets, 16 artificial nets, 12 grass pitches, five artificial pitches Brief history The history of English cricket is intertwined with Old Etonians, with the school producing more than 750 first-class cricketers. 1706 saw the first written record of a game of cricket at Eton College – in the poem Certamen Pilae,

by William Godwin, master of Bristol Grammar. August 2 1805

college sides also have strong links with the Old Epsomians, with a match played every year on Founders’ Day Finest moment on the cricket witnessed Eton v Harrow at Lord’s (Eton won by the comprehensive margin of an innings and two runs).

In 1882/83, The Hon Ivo Bligh, CT Studd and GB Studd toured Australia with England. Bligh received the ashes of a bail. In 1897, BJT Bosanquet is said to have invented the googly. 1899 saw Lord Hawke captain England v South Africa. Gubby Allen represented England in Australia in 1932/33 and refused to bowl bodyline. In 1961 Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie captained Hampshire to the Championship. Old boy Matthew

field Last winter saw former Old Epsomian Nat Sciver award her old College team-mate Davidson-Richards her first England cap in India Fleming represented England in 11 one-day internationals, and is a former president of MCC. Will Vanderspar was Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year for 2010. In 2014, John Rice retired after 30 years as cricket professional Recent cricketers of note Alex Loudon (Warwickshire & England), James Bruce (Hampshire) Extras Competitive inter-school sport is said to have started with cricket matches between the trio of Eton, Winchester and Westminster. As well as in excess of 500 school fixtures, Eton also runs a programme of 500-plus house matches with more than 40 schoolmasters involved, taking teams at all levels Cultural cricketers Alec DouglasHome, then known as Lord Dunglass, played for Eton and went on to become British prime minister for a year in 1963-64. He was later involved in negotiations with South Africa before the D’Oliveira Affair. Henry Blofeld, former TMS commentator.

Matthew Fleming, MCC president 2016-2017

FELS T ED SCHOOL // FE T T ES COLLEGE

FELSTED SCHOOL Felsted Dunmow Essex CM6 3LL Established 1564 Notable fixtures MCC, Oakham, Oundle, Bedford Cricket professional Jason Gallian (Essex, Nottinghamshire & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U17, U15ABC, U14ABCD Girls’ cricket 1st XI and 2nd XI. An inspirational school and MCC hub for girls’ cricket. Hosts two Essex women’s matches a season

FETTES COLLEGE Carrington Road Edinburgh EH4 1QX Established 1870 Number of pupils 550 Notable fixtures More than 120 fixtures. MCC, Merchiston Castle,

Facilities Five squares at the senior school, one indoor school, 10 artificial net lanes Club/county affiliation Essex Brief history The first cricket field was established in 1805 Cricketers of note Nick Knight (Essex, Warwickshire & England), Derek Pringle, John Stephenson and JWHT Douglas (all Essex & England), Tim Phillips and Elliot Wilson (Essex) Extras Will be hosting a future edition of the Bunbury Festival, the prestigious regional festival for the best under-15 cricketers in the country, organised by David English Finest moment on the field T20 national champions 2004 and 2005 Loretto, Strathallan, Glenalmond Director of cricket Bruce Russell Teams Seven in the senior college, three senior XIs, Colts AB, Junior Colts AB Girls’ cricket As an activity, matches for one team currently Facilities Four indoor lanes in the sports hall, three outdoor lanes, also train on middles with cages on

two squares. Four grounds. The full Scotland team train at the facilities in winter Club/county affiliation Grange CC, East of Scotland and Scotland Brief history Malcolm Jardine, an Oxford Blue and father of Douglas, a future England captain, and KG MacLeod, described by Wisden as Scotland’s greatest all-round

athlete, were the school’s finest cricketers. The school’s golden period came during the 1950s with cricketers of the calibre of JG Cumming, Richard Bowman and Donald Steel. After a slump in fortune during the 1980s and early 90s, Fettes cricket has revived led by Neil Millar and Scott MacLennan, both of whom won Oxford Blues, and latterly the Edwards brothers (Henry and William) who played for Scotland in Under-19 World Cups. The 1st XI won the National HMC Schools T20 three times in four years (2014, 2016 and 2017). Only one 1st XI match against a Scottish school has been lost (with 19 wins) during the last two summers Professional cricketers Richard Bowman (Lancashire), Ronald Hoare (Northamptonshire & Lancashire) Best prospect George Conner; recently was presented with an achievement award by MCC following his unbeaten century against MCC in 2017 Extras The last director of cricket, Jack van Geloven was the last man to do the old double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in county cricket. The beautiful and superbly maintained 1st XI ground and Yeo pavilion are a strong feature Cultural cricketers Tony Blair played cricket while a pupil here, though not to great distinction.

Robert White, notable left-arm spinner and cricket lover, who went on to manage several bands, including Simple Minds thecricketer.com | 29

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOREST SCHOOL Walthamstow London Essex E17 3PY

FORES T SCHOOL // FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE

Cricketers of note James Foster, Nasser Hussain (both Essex & England) Extras The school runs a cricket exchange programme with St Stithian’s College in Johannesburg,

and bi-annual overseas cricket tours with recent trips to venues such as Trinidad & Tobago, Sri Lanka, St Lucia and Barbados Finest moment on the field

Playing at the R Premadasa and SSC Test grounds in Colombo Cultural cricketers Paapa Essiedu, who has played Hamlet at the Royal Shakespeare Company, turned out for the school’s B teams

Brief history Cricket was the first sport to be played at Framlingham College in 1865 as a team of Masters & Boys took on a Town and District XI. Regular school fixtures followed as well as hosting more prestigious matches featuring Kenya, Pakistan Under-25s and Gloucestershire.

Suffolk regularly used the College for both Championship and knockout fixtures in the 1980s and 1990s Cricketers of note Herbert Wilson (Sussex), Norman Borrett (Essex), David Larter (Northamptonshire & England), Ashley Cowan (Essex), Rob Newton (Northants) Extras The school also hosts specialist coaching clinics including Cookie Patel (fielding), Devon Malcolm (bowling) and Alex Hales (batting). The Quilibets (consisting of staff and students, Old Boys and other friends of the school) holds a week-long festival at Framlingham at the end of term against various nomadic teams. Larter was described as “a very promising fast

bowler whose batting can only be described as feeble and his fielding even worse”, though he went on to a successful first-class career Finest moment on the field Newton becoming the first schoolboy to register a doublehundred, against MCC in 2007

Cultural cricketers Jim Paice, former Conservative minister for agriculture and food, Ed Sheeran, Charlie Simpson from Busted and Fightstar, soprano Laura Wright and Keito Okamota from Hey! Say! JUMP. Wright has sung at Tests and played in recent TMS games

Established 1834 Notable fixtures MCC, Highgate, Bancroft’s, Brentwood, UCS, XL Club Cricket professional James Foster (Essex & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12ABC Girls’ cricket U15 and U13 girls teams that train once a week and compete in the Essex Cup Facilities Purpose-built indoor cricket suite comprising two lanes (including video analysis technology), three-lane outdoor synthetic-grass nets, four cricket squares Club/county affiliation Essex Brief history The school archives date cricket at Forest School back to the 1860s. Nasser Hussain became the first Old Forester to play for Essex and then England.

Former Essex allrounder Stuart Turner ran cricket at Forest from 1987 until his retirement in 2010.

Forest School now runs more teams than at any time in its history

FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE College Road Framlingham Suffolk IP13 9EY Established 1865 Number of pupils 692 Notable fixtures 330 fixtures in total, MCC, XL Club, Gentlemen of Suffolk, Gentlemen of Essex, Essex Girls’ Development XI Director of Cricket Marcus Marvell Cricket professional Johann Myburgh (Hampshire, Durham & Somerset) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC. 20 boys’ teams from U19 to U13 Girls’ cricket 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB. 17 teams from U9–U13 Facilities 7 indoor nets, 8 artificial nets, 10 grass nets. 10 pitches (plus various mini grounds) Club/county affiliation Links with Essex, Northamptonshire, Somerset & Worcestershire 30 | thecricketer.com

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S BOYS’ SCHOOL Butterfly Lane Elstree Hertfordshire WD6 3AF Website: www.habsboys.org.uk Admissions: admissions@habsboys.org.uk Established 1690 Number of pupils Main school: 1,124; prep and pre-prep: 292 Notable fixtures Bancroft’s, Berkhamsted, Felsted, MCC, Magdalen College, Merchant Taylors’ Northwood, St Albans, Exeter CC; annual fixture against the Fraser Bird XI – a side which regularly features first-class cricketers as well as old boys; the school takes an annual Devon Tour Master in charge of cricket Stephen Charlwood Cricket professionals James Hewitt (former Middlesex & Kent) is employed by both Haberdashers’

Stephen Charlwood Master in charge of cricket 32 | thecricketer.com

HABERDASHERS’ ASK E’S BOYS’ SCHOOL

and Middlesex and works alongside current head coach Dan Kerry as part of a developing partnership.

Doug Yeabsley (Devon & Minor Counties) was offered a full-time contract by Warwickshire, but chose instead to be a full-time member of staff and ran cricket at Habs for many years Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12ABC, U11AB, U10AB, U9AB, U8AB Girls’ cricket Coaching for sister school next door Facilities Three grass squares, three synthetic strips, four new fully enclosed astro nets, three other astro nets, five grass nets and an ‘open’ net plus a two-lane indoor centre that includes instant-replay and video-analysis systems Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Sidmouth and Exeter CC in Devon Cricketers of note Richard Yeabsley (Middlesex), Ashley Sivarajah (MCC YCs) Best prospect Jay Madan plays up a year for both the school and Middlesex Future plans Planning new grass nets for 2019 reconfigured to the main square. Always on the lookout for appropriate challenges for all the school teams. Hope also to host more Middlesex age-group games

Finest moment on the field Games against local rivals Merchant Taylors’ have always been keenly contested.

In 2009 Habs achieved a famous ‘away’ win after MTs, seemingly coasting to victory, collapsed from 72 for 3 to 104 all out, thanks to an electric spell of genuinely fast bowling from allrounder Kushal Patel, although it was leg-spinner Seb Schusman who was the main beneficiary, picking up wickets as the opposition batsmen sought refuge at the other end. In 2015 Habs played a T20 game against Merchant Taylors’ on the Nursery Ground at Lord’s in front of a crowd of 400-plus. Other recent highlights include a 10-wicket victory against a Devon U17 side in 2014 when prolific opening batsmen Tom Colverd and Will Wright both scored

centuries and shared in an unbroken partnership of 248. Wins on tour, notably at the iconic Test ground at Galle, also live long in the memory!

Extras There is huge enthusiasm for cricket, particularly from within the school’s Asian community. Regular overseas tours are taken every two or three years. The school have been to Hong Kong, Singapore Malaysia, South Africa and Dubai, and returned to Sri Lanka for a fourth time in October 2017. The school also hosts visiting touring sides most years from Australia, South Africa and New Zealand Cultural cricketers Sir Martin Sorrell (former chief executive officer of WPP plc) was captain in 1963. Manoj Badale (ex-chairman of Rajasthan Royals in the IPL) was captain in 1986

Cricket at Habs Cricket is hugely popular at Habs and enjoys an enviable reputation both on our local circuit and more widely. During the summer we regularly field 15 sides, with further teams representing our Prep School, all of which receive expert guidance from our well-qualified coaching staff. Excellent facilities on our 120-acre campus, based just 15 miles from central London, include our Solai Indoor Cricket Centre with video analysis fixed camera system, grass and artificial nets, three grass pitches and three artificial wickets. These enable boys to practise throughout the year and are constantly in use. Regular tours provide fantastic opportunities to experience the game in other countries, most recently Sri Lanka.

www.habsboys.org.uk

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

HAILEYBURY London Road Hertford SG13 7NU Established 1862 Number of pupils 835 Notable fixtures 128 fixtures each year, plus tours. Include MCC, twoday games against Cheltenham, biennial touring games against Haileybury, Melbourne Director of Cricket Rupert Kitzinger Cricket professional Geoff Howarth (Surrey & New Zealand) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15 AB, U14 ABC, U13 ABCD Girls’ cricket 7 teams from U13–U18 Facilities 15 nets, including three indoor nets, five grounds, PV1 – Hawkeye, Merlyn bowling machine

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HAILE Y BURY

Club/county affiliations Hertfordshire, with club links to Hertford CC, Hoddesdon CC, Broxbourne CC, St Margaretsbury CC, Harlow CC Brief history The fixture between Haileybury and Cheltenham began in 1893 and was played at Lord’s every year until 1968. The annual match continues today in two-day format between the sides. 1983 saw the Haileybury Hermits play in The Cricketer Cup final under the captaincy of NJC Gandon. All the history is held in a fact-filled book entitled Haileybury Cricket written by David Rimmer, which maps Haileybury cricket from the beginning, including team lists and photos. The book is held in the historic pavilion, a listed building, designed by Reginald Bloomfield.

Sir Don Bradman famously visited

the pavilion and bequeathed his Baggy Green, which lay in the Long Room for many years, and which Haileybury has now loaned to the Cricket Australia museum Cricketers of note Sam Billings (Kent & England) is the latest to hit the headlines for England’s ODI teams, and there have been 91 firstclass cricketers from Haileybury’s stable, including RJO Meyer (future founder of Millfield), AJT Miller and RGP Ellis to name but a few. Maharajkumar of Vizianagram went on to captain India on their tour of England in 1936 Best prospect Sixth formers Jack Timms and Jake Ratcliffe are leading lights with the bat and fifth former Bill Meacock has the opportunity to build on a good start to his career with the bat and gloves.

Extras The school now runs a sporting exchange with Knox Grammar School, Sydney (alma mater of Michael Slater) whereby one of their young cricketers come to Haileybury for an English summer and in return one of Haileybury’s young rugby players heads down under for the Australian rugby season during July and August. In 2017, the senior boys spent a week in Delhi, including meeting up with Billings and his Delhi Daredevils and training with the squad in the stadium. The junior tour was to Warwickshire, where an U13 squad spent a week playing several matches in the local area, and met Ian Bell and Chris

Woakes at Edgbaston. The senior boys travel to Sri Lanka next Easter, the girls to Warwickshire and the junior boys to Jersey Finest moment on the field Haileybury chased down 308 to beat Stamford in May 2016 with a 50 from Ben Morris, followed by unbeaten hundreds from Freddie Walker (127*) and Ollie Heazel (104*). This achievement was arguably equalled in 2018 in chasing down 283 in the 4th innings of the second day match v Cheltenham with overs and wickets running out. The old boys made The Cricketer Cup final in 1983 against Repton Pilgrims.

Cultural cricketers Jamie George, the Saracens, England & British & Irish Lions rugby player, scored 96 not out against Dulwich College in 2006. Nick Isiekwe, who packed down with Jamie in South Africa on the England tour, also turned out for Haileybury cricket in his time here. Clement Attlee enjoyed his cricket at Haileybury when a pupil at the turn of the 20th century, and famously sent a hand-written note to Jim Callaghan using the analogy: “You’re not playing for the 2nd XI now!” when appointing him to the cabinet for the first time

Rupert Kitzinger Director of cricket

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

HAMPTON SCHOOL Hanworth Road Hampton TW12 3HD

HARROW SCHOOL 5 High Street Harrow on the Hill Middlesex HA1 3HP Established 1572 Number of pupils 830 Notable fixtures 21 1st XI fixtures, Eton (at Lord’s), MCC, Wellington, Tonbridge, Radley, Charterhouse, Cowdrey Cup Director of cricket Mark Davis (Sussex) Cricket professional Stephen Jones (Western Province) Master-in-charge Robin MartinJenkins (Sussex) Teams Four senior teams, U16ABC, U15ABCDE, U14ABCDEF Facilities A two-lane purposebuilt indoor school with Pitchvision, eight artificial and four grass outdoor nets. Nine squares all served by excellent pavilions Club/county affiliation Middlesex Brief history Cricket has long played a major part in the life of Harrow. From 1850 to 1939 this was largely due to the social significance of the Eton match at Lord’s which, along with Henley Regatta, sailing at Cowes and

HAMP T ON SCHOOL // HARROW SCHOOL

Established 1556 Number of Pupils 1,250 Director of cricket Ami Banerjee Notable fixtures 23 1st XI fixtures, MCC, Eton, Harrow, Dulwich,

racing at Ascot became part of ‘the London Season’. The first recorded match in 1805 gained some publicity from the presence in the Harrow team of the poet, George Byron. Byron was no cricketer, indeed he had a club foot and batted with a runner, but he talked a good game. The match in 1914 was attended by more than 38,000 over two days.

Even in 2008, it attracted a larger crowd than for any of Middlesex’s

Whitgift, St Paul’s, RGS Guildford, King’s College School Cricket professional Chris Harrison Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15ABC, U14ABCD, U13ABC, U12ABC Facilities Six indoor nets, seven cricket pitches and one astro Club/county affiliation Middlesex & Surrey Brief history Hampton School has excellent cricket facilities and is proud of its cricketing tradition. Hampton regularly field 15 teams across all age groups and also has a flourishing coaching programme to enable boys of all abilities to play. Every two years the U15s and 1st XI tour abroad and recent destinations have included the UAE and Sri Lanka (2016) and India (2014). The school’s

first-class matches. A tour is planned in 2019 Cricketers of note AN ‘Monkey’ Hornby, Archie MacLaren (both Lancs & England), Robin Marlar (Sussex), Tony Pigott (Sussex & Surrey), Rob White (Northants), Gary Ballance (Derbyshire, Yorkshire & England), Sam Northeast (Kent & Hampshire), Nick Compton (Middlesex, Somerset & England) Best prospect Tej Sheopuri

current fixture list is busy and strong in the summer term. The 1st XI have strong and competitive fixtures and compete in the local 50/40 league and in the National Twenty20 Cup. The junior teams compete in the Middlesex and Surrey Cup. A key part of the highly successful cricket programme at Hampton is Hampton’s Cricket Academy and one-to-one coaching, available to all school cricketers throughout the year.

The quality of cricket coaching at Hampton is outstanding, with former first-class cricketers and ECB level 3 coaches Ami Banerjee (represented Bengal, India & Guernsey) and Chris Harrison Cricketers of note Zafar Ansari (England & Surrey), Toby RolandJones (England & Middlesex)

Extras Eton v Harrow is the oldest schools’ fixture at Lord’s Cultural cricketers Byron, Sir Stanley Jackson (England Test player and Conservative Party chairman), Earl Alexander of Tunis was secretary of MCC, playwright Terrence Rattigan scored 29 against Eton in 1929.

Olympic gold medallist Guy Butler. Racehorse trainer William Haggas skippered the school side in 1979

thecricketer.com | 35

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS HURSTPIERPOINT COLLEGE College Lane Hurstpierpoint Hassocks Sussex BN6 9JS Established 1849 Number of pupils 800 Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift, Wellington, Charterhouse Director of Cricket Nick Creed Cricket professionals Georgia Adams (Sussex Women), Phil Hudson and Jimmy Anyon (Sussex) Teams 10 senior teams, 10 prep teams Girls’ cricket 200 girls across the

KIMBOLTON SCHOOL High Street Kimbolton Huntingdonshire PE28 0EA

36 | thecricketer.com

HURS T PIERPOIN T COLLEGE // K IMBOLT ON SCHOOL

college access cricket during the week. We run approximately eight to 10 teams across both prep and senior school Facilities Eight grass pitches, 10 grass nets, seven artificial nets, sixlane indoor sports hall Club/county affiliation Sussex Brief history Although the school was founded in 1849 and it is clear that cricket was played not only when the school was at Shoreham but also at the Mansion House, there are no written records until the appearance of the Hurst Johnian magazine in 1858. In recent years the school has had success, winning the Woodard Schools Festival Cricketers of note George Garton (Sussex) Justin Bates (Sussex), Martin Speight (Durham & Sussex) Established 1600 Number of pupils 670 Notable fixtures 120 fixtures, including MCC, XL Club and Oundle. The 1st XI also features in the Castle festival with Monmouth, Victoria College Jersey and New

Tom Haines (Sussex) Best prospect Will Collard Extras The school believe they have one of the longest

squares in the world Finest moment on the field Won the National Schools T20 Competition in 2015

Hall – a highly competitive and enjoyable season finale hosted on a rotational basis Director of sport Matthew Gilbert Cricket professional Alex Tudor (Surrey, Essex & England) Teams 10 in 2018 Girls’ cricket Two girls’ teams at combined ages U12–13 and U14-15, with a small number of fixtures and an enthusiastic uptake Facilities Four indoor nets, six outdoor, two covered grass squares with pavilions, three artificial strips, a Merlyn bowling machine Club/county affiliation Huntingdonshire, Kimbolton CC & Northamptonshire Brief history Kimbolton has a long and proud tradition of cricket. In the early part of the 20th century, regular matches were played against University of Cambridge colleges – it was a good standard for the boys, and the undergraduates enjoyed a day in the bucolic countryside. The appointment of Jack Hobbs in the 1930s as cricket professional had a profound impact on Kimbolton cricket. Hobbs scored his final century in any cricket in the Staff v Pupils match in the late 1940s. More recently, Charlotte Edwards spent one summer as professional to the boys’ team Cricketers of note Tom Huggins (Northamptonshire), John Bowers (Cambridge MCCU) Best prospect Joshua J Smith (18yrs) is a tremendous talent.

A 2017 season tally of 1,020 runs at 78 and 32 wickets at 12 was a phenomenal individual achievement. Joshua was credited nationally as the second best schoolboy allrounder based on his statistics Extras With a backdrop of Kimbolton Castle and beautiful countryside, the 1st XI square makes for one of the most attractive venues in the country.

Consideration of a tour to Dubai Finest moment on the field The most recent additions being three centuries and five 5 wickets for 18-year-old fast bowler David Adesida (6-5-1-5). A last-ball, onewicket win versus MCC XI in 2011 still features regularly as a talking point among Old Kimboltonians and common room staff Cultural cricketers Sir Jack Hobbs was on the coaching staff, and he was joined in the staff team of the 1930s by Tom Parker (Arsenal and England football captain and the school’s football professional) and Harold Abrahams (school athletics coach, inspired Chariots of Fire)

K ING’S COLLEGE SCHOOL // K ING’S COLLEGE, TAUN T ON

KING’S COLLEGE SCHOOL Southside Wimbledon Common Wimbledon London SW19 4TT Established 1829 Number of pupils 1,400 Director of Cricket James Gibson Notable fixtures 25 1st XI fixtures MCC, Dulwich College, St Paul’s, Epsom, Hampton Cricket professionals Gary Butcher (Surrey & Glamorgan), Pete Scott Teams 41 teams fielded in 2018 season in junior and senior school – U8A-G, U9A-G, U10A-F, U11A-F, U12A-E, U13A-E, U14A-D,U15AD,1-5thXI. The senior school alone has 19 XIs Facilities 13 nets including six grass, three grass squares; off-site two grass squares, eight artificial nets, two artificial wickets Club/county affiliation Surrey & Wimbledon CC Brief history Cricket at King’s College School has always been an integral part of the boys’ schooling life. With over 300 boys participating in the senior school

alone, the school is one of the few in the area to put out a 5th XI. The cricket benefits from excellent facilities and a fantastic coaching structure with a number of county and district age-group players coming through the ranks. Many of the leavers go on to represent university sides. Ruari Crichard and Alex Hunt played in 2015 Varsity Match Cricketers of note Russell Cake, Samir Sheikh, RM Crichard (All Cambridge) Best prospect Sanjay Patel (Surrey U18s) Finest moment on the field Cake’s 108 for Combined Universities against the Australians in 1993 Extras The 1st XI play in ‘The Ridgway Big Bash’ against local rivals Wimbledon College, with crowds of 300-plus. Introduction of cricket into the 6th Form Girls summer sport programme. New sports hall under construction (completion by Sept 2019) which will take number of indoor nets from 4 to 10 Cultural cricketers Marcus Mumford of the popular band Mumford & Sons and ‘Whiz Kid’ Nick D’Aloisio, designer of the Summly app

KING’S COLLEGE, TAUNTON South Road Taunton Somerset TA1 3LA Established 1879 Number of pupils 465 Director of cricket Robert Woodman (Somerset & Gloucestershire) Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift, Eton, Millfield, Cardiff MCCU, Exeter University Cricket professionals Alex Barrow (Somerset), Dennis Breakwell (Northants & Somerset) Teams Nine boys teams down to U14 level, and two girls’ teams.

Girls’ cricket 1st XI and U15.

Runners-up in regional indoor Lady Taverners’ league, and beat Millfield Facilities Sports hall and strength and conditioning centre, brand-new indoor purpose-built cricket performance centre, six outdoor astroturf nets, six cricket squares, grass nets on five of the cricket squares Club/county affiliation Mostly Somerset, but also Warwickshire and Glamorgan Cricketers of note Jos Buttler (Somerset, Lancashire and England), Craig Meschede

(Somerset & Glamorgan), Barrow (Somerset), Eddie Byrom (Somerset), Charlie Morris (Worcestershire), James Reagan (Somerset), Neil Brand (Glamorgan), Tom Banton (Somerset) Finest moment on the field In 2016 the 1st XI took on a strong PCA Masters (all ex-England) and gave them a good run in front of thousands of spectators Extras King’s College believe they have the best results and production line of professional cricketers of any school in the country in terms of its size.

King’s have beaten local rivals Millfield. The Westcountry schools circuit is one of the strongest and King’s tend to be up there each year. King’s have held the ESCA cricket festivals every summer for the last 30 years, in which they currently host around 190 games in just over 30 days for counties in England as well as teams from South Africa, Barbados, California and Ireland. The school also runs a cricket exchange programme for talented cricketers to play in South Africa. The school then receives an exchange pupil in return who plays development games for King’s and for a local club side. Breakwell has been professional or head groundsman for more than 30 years

thecricketer.com | 37

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS LANCASTER ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL East Road Lancaster LA1 3EF Established 1469 Notable fixtures MCC, Sedbergh, Shrewsbury, Bolton, Manchester Grammar, RGS Guildford, RGS Worcester, Woodhouse Grove.

Play in the annual six-team RGS Festival. They won the festival as hosts in 2018 Head of cricket Ian Ledward Cricket professional Ian Perryman Teams 13 Facilities Three pitches, five squares, three astro outdoor nets, two portable batting cages, four indoor nets in sports hall Club/county affiliation Lancashire and Cumbria Brief history Cricket is played at the Harold Douthwaite fields where the main pitches have a stunning outlook over Morecambe

L ANCAS T ER ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL // L ANCING COLLEGE

Bay to the mountains of the Lake District. In the last 25 years the school has expanded and strengthened its fixture list. The school is proud that B-team cricketers will usually get at least eight matches a season against local schools. The school has produced a number of Cambridge and Oxford Blues for cricket Extras As a state grammar, Lancaster RGS play six fixtures every weekend through the summer, entirely against the top independent schools in the north. RGS are in at least two county age-group schools finals every year and are proud of playing at least 120 matches across all age groups through a season Finest moment on the field Won the National Under-15 final in 1999, beating Charterhouse at

Trent Bridge. Losing finalist of National U13 final at Headingley in 1997. Finalists of the Sir Garfield Sobers U19 Tournament at Kensington Oval, Barbados in 2010, losing to Barbadian side Combermere School

Cultural cricketers The late Cecil Parkinson, a minister in Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative governments, played for the school before winning a scholarship to Cambridge University, where he won a Blue in athletics

LANCING COLLEGE

Robinson (Surrey), Mason Crane (Hampshire & England), Will Fazakerley (Leicestershire), Tim Head (Sussex) Best prospect Alice Capsey Finest moment on the field Mason Crane making his England Test debut Extras In 2014 Lancing launched the Peter Robinson Cricket Scholarship for boys and girls of county standard Cultural cricketers Sir Tim Rice, the renowned author and lyricist – a former MCC president and founder of his own Heartaches CC – went to Lancing College in his youth

Lancing West Sussex BN15 0RW Established 1848 Number of pupils 570 Director of cricket Raj Maru (Middlesex & Hampshire) Notable fixtures 18 1st XI fixtures, including Bede’s, Hurstpierpoint, Eastbourne, Epsom, King Edward’s Southampton Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB Girls’ cricket There is a girls’ section with a full programme in 2019. Alice Capsey has been awarded the Peter Robinson Cricket Scholarship from September 2017 Facilities Two indoor nets, sports hall, six astro nets, four grass squares Club/county affiliation Sussex Brief history Lancing, set in outstanding countryside and housed in fine buildings, educates boys and girls to develop a love of learning and to reach their full potential, enriched by the arts and physical activities Cricketers of note Johnny 38 | thecricketer.com

Raj Maru Director of cricket

Dare to believe Founded 1594

020 8870 4171 • enquiries@emanuel.org.uk • www.emanuel.org.uk

Excellence in the arts and sport

Emanuel has a long history of success in sport for boys and girls.

Please visit the admissions part of our website to book onto an open event.

Sports scholarships & fee-assistance available

11+ & 13+ Open Morning Saturday 16 March 16+ Open Evening Thursday 20 June To book a place, or to arrange an individual visit, please contact admissions@haileybury.com 01992 706 353

Reg. charity no. 310013

A top co-educational boarding and day school for 11–18 year olds

TOP 100

SCHOOLS CRICKET

Senior School & Sixth Form

A GUIDE 2019

“All schools say that they try to bring out your strengths, but here they really do it.”

Good Schools Guide

An independent, co-educational boarding and day school for pupils aged between 11 and 18, on the north Hampshire/Surrey border.

Registered Charity Number 1076483

E: admissions@lordwandsworth.org

T: 01256 862201

W: www.lordwandsworth.org

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS LEICESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL London Road Leicester Leicestershire LE8 9FL Established 1981 Director of cricket Laurie Potter Notable fixtures MCC, Loughborough Grammar, Oundle, Gentlemen of Leicestershire, Wellingborough, Ryde (IoW) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12AB, U11AB, U10, U9, U8 Girls’ cricket At U18, U15 and U13. Cricket is taught to girls from Year 7 as the striking game within the curriculum. They play indoor matches during the winter months and outdoor in summer.

Coaching sessions take place every Wednesday throughout the winter Facilities Three indoor nets, a bowling machine, seven grass outdoor nets, three artificial, two match squares, two Flicx pitches on their own area for junior games.

LORD WANDSWORTH COLLEGE Long Sutton Hook Hampshire RG29 1TB Established 1928 Number of pupils 620 Master in charge David Beven Notable fixtures MCC, Charterhouse, Reed’s, Epsom, Portsmouth Grammar Director of cricket David Beven Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13AB, U12ABC Girls’ cricket U18s, U15, U13ABCD. The girls have played against MCC Women and are the current Lady Taverners Indoor Champions for Hampshire seven times between the age groups Facilities Eight astro nets, 10 grass nets, five grass pitches and two artificial pitches. A four-lane indoor net facility Club/county affiliation Hampshire and Surrey

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LEICES T ER GRAMMAR SCHOOL // LORD WANDSWORT H COLLEGE

Club/county affiliation Affiliated to many local clubs and also Leicestershire, who have a number of fixtures at LGS, including the county academy. Girls’ teams play the county’s girls teams Brief history Leicester Grammar is a young school and the cricket set-up is even younger. A small amount was played at the school before 1994 but that year, with the appointment of a formal master in charge, cricket became more of a focus. A regular fixture list was developed and with the teams initially playing in the local leagues, LGS has now moved to the point

Brief history Cricket at Lord Wandsworth has been going from strength to strength with a real push for girls’ cricket over the past few years. They currently have more than 70 girls playing across all age groups. Boys compete well in a tough fixture list. The boys have several players throughout each age group who are playing county cricket for Hampshire and Surrey Cricketers of note Michael Bates (Hampshire & Somerset), Alex and Hugo Hammond (England Disability), Tom Hicks (Dorset & Oxford MCCU), Robbie Heywood (Oxford MCCU) Extras County and district teams use their grounds regularly Finest moment on the field Lord Wandsworth College captain of cricket, Robbie Heywood, ended his school career with a run of remarkable achievements. In his final eight days he scored 108 not out v. RGS Guildford, 101 (retired) v Bedales, 153 v Reed’s and 120 in a T20 game v The Sternians (Lord Wandsworth old boys). This run

where the school has a strong list of friendly and cup fixtures for all ages, alongside girls’ fixtures. As a day school it has been decided that LGS should play midweek, and in the last season well over 70 games were played by representative teams from LGS. The format of fixtures encompasses T20 through to all-day fixtures against MCC – all cricket midweek. In 2008 LGS moved to a purposebuilt site and now have fantastic facilities to develop the game at.

Coaching takes place throughout the year, and the 1st and 2nd XIs toured Barbados in 2014, playing 10

of form saw him amass 551 runs, being dismissed only three times.

His partnership with James Wilson against Reed’s was 285 Future plans Improving junior facilities and running more masterclasses for other schools in the area Best prospect Alex Campbell Cultural cricketers England fly-

fixtures, with the 1st XI returning unbeaten. In 2015 the U13s toured Holland, again returning unbeaten, but more importantly developing their game greatly. The 1st and 2nd XIs toured Sri Lanka in July 2017, and took two U13 teams – one boys, one girls – to the Isle of Wight Extras The City Cricket Academy have their summer camp at LGS, and also play matches at the ground on Friday evenings and Sundays, free of charge Cricketers of note Avish Patel (Cambridge Blue 2015), Lucy Higham (Nottinghamshire Women, Loughborough Lightning & England Women’s Academy), Lucy Weston (Leicestershire Women) Finest moment on the field Last May the U15 girls’ team reached the national finals of the Lady Taverners U15 Indoor competition and spent the day competing for the trophy at Lord’s. The 1st XI defeated both Repton and Oakham in the national T20. This season LGS have beaten Oundle for the first time at 1st XI level and had another win against Stowe in the National T20

half Jonny Wilkinson represented the college in the cricket 1st XI for three years

David Beven Master in charge

MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL, OXFORD // MALVERN COLLEGE

MAGDALEN COLLEGE SCHOOL, OXFORD Cowley Place Oxford Oxfordshire OX4 1DZ Established 1480 Number of pupils 950 Notable fixtures 230 fixtures, including MCC, Abingdon, St Edwards, Rugby, Haberdashers’ Aske’s, Marlborough, Radley, Eton, Stowe, South Oxfordshire Amateurs. Regular tourists include Melbourne Grammar (Australia), Grey High (South Africa). Each year an U15 T20 Festival, involving eight schools, is held at MCS at the end of the summer term. The MCS U14 squad tour Cambridgeshire each May half-term holiday Director of cricket Chris Boyle Cricket professional Alan Duncan Teams 18 Girls’ cricket Training but no matches at present Facilities Five-lane indoor hall, four grass nets, four artificial nets, two grounds Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire and Sussex Brief history Founded by William Waynflete, Magdalen College

MALVERN COLLEGE College Road Malvern Worcestershire WR14 3DF Established 1865 Notable fixtures Shrewsbury, Harrow, Repton, Wellington, Bradfield, Millfield Master in charge Mark Hardinges (Gloucestershire) Cricket professional Noel Brett Teams Nine sides aged 14 and above Girls’ cricket In the last two years, there have been games against Shrewsbury, Moreton Hall, Rugby, MCC Ladies and Clifton Facilities Three grounds, six artificial nets, 16 grass nets, indoor cricket facility Club/county affiliation Worcestershire Brief history The Senior Turf at Malvern is spectacular. Matches

School was initially set up as a school of the university and quickly became established as one of the leading centres of learning in Europe. In 1894 the school acquired the playing fields now known as School Field, a unique island setting accessed via two listed white bridges. The cricket ground is considered one of the most picturesque in England, with a backdrop of punts on the Cherwell, the Botanic Gardens, Magdalen Tower and the dreaming spires beyond. In 1913 the unique pavilion was built and now stands as a tribute to those who played and lost their lives in the Great War. The school has expanded to become a centre of academic excellence Cricketers of note David Ligertwood (Durham & Surrey), John Martin (Somerset), Francis and Arthur Roberts (both Gloucestershire), Octavius Radcliffe (Gloucestershire & Somerset) Extras In recent years Magdalen has hosted the Lashings World XI and the PCA Masters. The School Field ground is the only island cricket ground in schools cricket. Don Bradman played at the Christ Church Ground three times for Australia (1930, 1934 and

1938) against Oxford University, but averaged ‘only’ 42 there. The Australian touring side played here from 1882 and it was here in 1884 that Oxford beat an Australian XI for the first and last time. The record biggest hit (as recorded

by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack) was made on the school’s Christ Church ground in 1856 (the Rev W Fellows, while at practice on the ground, drove a ball bowled by Charles Rogers 175 yards from hit to pitch). The school toured Sri Lanka in 2017 and are planning a tour in 2020 Best prospect Tom Price, currently

with Gloucestershire Future plans An experimental league with schools in the area Finest moment on the field Ben Thompson becoming the youngest century-maker for the Oxfordshire minor counties side in 1998 with 111, against Herefordshire, aged 17 years and 250 days Cultural cricketers Sam Mendes (English stage and film director), Jim Rosenthal (sports presenter), Nigel Starmer-Smith (England rugby, Barbarians and rugby commentator). Lawrence Booth, editor of Wisden since 2012, went to the school

were played within 18 months of the school’s foundation in 1865.

Players included the seven Foster brothers, who dominated Malvern cricket from 1889. All played for

Worcestershire, but RE ‘Tip’ Foster was the most outstanding, and is still remembered for his innings of 287 for England at Sydney on the 1903/04 tour to Australia, his

Test match debut. The Tolchard brothers Jeff, Ray and Roger, were all outstanding players in the 1960s Cricketers of note The 2014 Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year, Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Worcestershire & Yorkshire), David Nash (England A and Middlesex), Ben Twohig (Worcestershire), Alex Milton (Worcestershire), Mark Hardinges (Gloucestershire and Essex), Roger Tolchard (England and Leicestershire) Finest moment on the field The 1st XI were unbeaten against school opposition during the 2012 season, winning 12 games in succession.

Won the Lord’s Taverners U15 in 2000 Best prospect Jack Haynes (England U16 captain) Cultural cricketers Lord MacLaurin of Knebworth, the former ECB chief executive and past MCC president, attended Malvern College thecricketer.com | 41

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE Bath Road Marlborough Wiltshire SN8 1PA Established 1843 Number of pupils 925 Notable fixtures MCC, Rugby (two-day colour match), other big fixtures include Radley, Eton, Winchester, Cheltenham, Sherborne, Wellington, St Edward’s, Bradfield Director of cricket Mike Bush Cricket professional Mark Alleyne (Gloucestershire & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, U16ABC, U15ABCD, U14ABCDE, Girls’ 1st XI Girls’ cricket Girls are integrated into boys’ teams; Charlotte Bawden (Surrey U19s & Durham University) made her debut for the 1st XI in 2015, Rosie Pembroke (Wiltshire) made her Wiltshire Women’s debut in 2016 aged 14 becoming, by two years, the youngest to represent them. The college hosted Bradfield in their inaugural girls’ fixture in 2016. 2018 has seen eight fixtures

MERCHANT TAYLORS’ SCHOOL, NORTHWOOD Sandy Lodge Moor Park Northwood Hertfordshire HA6 2HT Established 1561 Number of pupils 961 Notable fixtures 221 fixtures, Radley (on the Lord’s Nursery Ground), Harrow, Eton, Millfield, Whitgift, MCC Director of cricket Ian McGowan Cricket professionals Scott Galloway, Graham Furber, Adam

42 | thecricketer.com

MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE // MERCHAN T TAY LORS’ SCHOOL, NOR T HWOOD

including the inaugural girls match v Rugby and a 2nd XI fixture Facilities Sports hall which includes five indoor nets, nine grounds, 14 artificial nets, two cages and a new BOLA TrueMan Club/county affiliation Links with Marlborough CC, with boys involved in Hampshire, Middlesex, Somerset, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire set-ups Brief history By 1849, the boys had begun levelling a ground and had formed a cricket club. Dr Cotton, who arrived from Rugby School as master in 1852, gave great encouragement to the sport and by 1855 when the first match between the two schools took place at Lord’s; the main cricket square at Marlborough had been completed.

Until 1972 the Marlborough v Rugby match was a regular fixture at Lord’s, and since then the two schools have played a two-day match against each other annually.

In 2017 the schools played at Lord’s once more as part of Rugby’s 450th anniversary celebrations Cricketers of note AG Steel (played in first Test in England in 1880 and has his name featured on

the Ashes urn), LH Gay, AJL Hill, NF Druce, JC Hartley (all England), RH Spooner (England, and also at rugby), Jake Seamer (Somerset), Mike Griffith (Sussex & president of MCC), Richard Savage (Warks), Robbie Williams (Middx & Leics) Best prospect Freddie Kottler (Middlesex U15), Will Hammersley (Oxfordshire U15) Future plans The MCC North Wiltshire Hub is in its third year and there are plans for a 10-net enclosure. Possible tour to Sri Lanka in 2020 Extras The pavilion (built in 1874) was designed by Victorian architect Alfred Waterhouse, famous for designing the Natural History Museum and Manchester Town

Hall. Steel is reported to have invented the leg-break while at school at Marlborough Finest moment on the field In August 2017 the XI defeated Rugby School by 25 runs in a wonderfully exciting match at Lord’s to celebrate the 450th (Rugby) & 175th (Marlborough) anniversaries of both schools. Having recovered from 8 for 3 to post 270 for 6, thanks largely to Max Read’s 141 not out, David West took 6 for 57 to bowl Rugby out for 245.

Cultural cricketers Siegfried Sassoon is reported to have been a keen cricketer at Marlborough.

Jack Whitehall is rumoured to have made it to the 3rd XI. Ex-Cricketer editor Christopher Martin-Jenkins

Cuthbert, Graeme Calway, Leigh Wooldridge Teams 18 teams (U12 through to 1st XI) Facilities Outdoors: 12 grass squares, 16 grass nets, 10 astro nets.

Indoors: two nets, sports hall Club/county affiliation Middlesex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire Brief history Merchant Taylors’ has a distinguished cricketing history.

The first recorded match on the school ground was between the Norwood Club and MCC in 1892.

Middlesex 2nd XI first played there in 2002, and the ground hosted its inaugural first-class match in 2012 Cricketers of note Ravi Patel

(Middlesex & England Lions) and Oliver Wilkin (Middlesex) Best prospect David Burnell (Warwickshire) Future plans A new partnership with Middlesex CCC Extras Merchant Taylors’ is officially ‘The Home of Middlesex Youth Cricket’. Every Middlesex youth home game is played at the school. The school regularly hosts first-class cricket, most recently a Royal London Cup match against Hampshire in 2018. The Australian team held pre-Ashes training camps in 2013 and 2015 at Merchant Taylors’. Australia captain Michael Clarke said the

facilities were “world class”. Sachin Tendulkar launched the Middlesex Tendulkar Global Academy at Merchant Taylors’ this summer Finest moment on the field In 2018, won the U17 National Cup competition, were national finalists at U18, regional finalists at U15 and county champions at U15. In 2017, the Merchant Taylors’ U17 cricket team created history by becoming the first sporting team at the school to win a national championship. Reaching the national finals on the ESCA U15 Competition in 2015 and 2016 Cultural cricketers Comedian Michael McIntyre

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS MERCHISTON CASTLE SCHOOL 294 Colinton Road Edinburgh Scotland EH13 0PU Established 1828 Number of pupils 460 Notable fixtures MCC Head of cricket Rory McCann Teams 14 Girls’ cricket An all-boys’ school Facilities Four indoor nets, four outdoor nets, six grass pitches, one astroturf pitch Brief history The school was founded in 1828 and moved to Merchiston Castle in 1833.

Charles Chalmers founded the school as a boys’ boarding school,

MILLFIELD Street Somerset BA16 0YD Established 1935 Number of pupils 1,250 Notable fixtures Surrey, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, MCC, Wales U17 Girls’ XI Director of cricket Mark Garaway Cricket professionals Dan Helesfay and Jack Moore Teams 14 Girls’ cricket U18 and U15 (two).

Play in Lady Taverners U15 indoor competition and U15 national hard-ball competition. U17 fixtures include matches against Wales U17, Somerset U17, MCC Facilities Eight indoor nets, bank of 12 grass nets, nine artificial outdoor nets, six grounds. A state-of-theart indoor school with five lanes, Pitchvision technology throughout, fielding area with 4G grass, throwing and bowling walls with speed radars Brief history Cricket has played a central part at Millfield since its inception in 1935. The school’s founder, Boss Meyer, was a firstclass cricketer for Somerset and MCC. Meyer was accompanied on his return to England from India in the mid-1930s by seven Indian boys, including six princes, having been entrusted with

MERCHIS T ON CAS T LE SCHOOL // MILLFIELD

and it remained at the Merchiston Castle for almost 100 years. In 1930 the decision was made to move to the current greenfield site at Colinton, some three miles further along the same road.

Cricket is one of the school’s three major sports. Cricket starts start with Kwik Cricket in J4/5, with teams all the way up to 1st XI standard. The winter programme underpins the continued success and popularity of cricket in the school, starting after October half-term. In the autumn term, there is a specialist skills programme in place. The 1st XI completed a very successful tour to Sri Lanka at Easter 2017.

Cricketers of note Tom Sole (Northamptonshire & Scotland), Chris Sole (Hampshire & providing them an education.

He set up Millfield School at Street in 1935 and remained as headmaster for the next 35 years.

The iconic main field has views across to the Glastonbury Tor and there are exceptional playing surfaces on Main Field, Junior Field and across Kingwestern Fields. Millfield embarks on a major overseas tour once every two years. The most recent tour took 45 cricketers to Mumbai for a 15-match programme.

Millfield’s performance programme integrates specialist technical, tactical and lifestyle coaching with sports science input from the Millfield Institute of Sport and Wellbeing team. The programme is individually tailored to optimise the performance of each player.

Scotland), Oli Hairs (Scotland), Jamie Kerr (Scotland) Best prospect Tom Mackintosh Sabater Extras Merchiston Castle is the leading school for cricket

There are presently 53 boys and girls who are county age group, county academy, regional and international cricketers on the programme. Millfield is not all about high performance, though, with more than 350 boys and girls involved in cricket. There are open and cricket club sessions run for cricketers of all ages and abilities throughout the week, and every pupil has the opportunity to be coached by ECB Level 3 and Level 4 coaches. School competes in a number of tournaments Cricketers of note Ian Ward (Surrey, Sussex & England), Paul Terry (Hampshire & England), Kieran Powell (West Indies), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset), Daniel BellDrummond (Kent), Tom Moores (Notts) and George Hankins (Glos)

in Scotland, and has produced 24 internationals for Scotland – including the Sole brothers Finest moment on the field Won the U15 T20 Scottish Schools Cup for the past two years

Extras Millfield had four England Under-19 players in the 2016 ODI series against Sri Lanka. The school has toured India twice in the last four years with a combination of boys’ and girls’ squads. The Boys U15 and U18s are touring South Africa in December 2018 and the school are in the process of setting up a tour to Spain for the girls Best prospect Jamie Baird (U15 wicketkeeper-batsman) Future plans The Indoor Cricket Centre will be a state of the art facility with leading innovation. The facility will open the way for coach education and officiating courses to be held on site providing access to courses for pupils, teachers and the broader community. Millfield are presently in negotiation with counties and other representative organisations. They anticipate the quality links which are already in place with the local cricket clubs will be enhanced by the opportunity to use the Indoor Centre for their preseason net sessions. The tapeball programmes will continue to open cricket up to a broader pupil base.

This will continue to be played on the hockey astro pitches around campus, in house cricket and the indoor centre Finest moment on the field In 2016 Millfield became the first school to hold three national titles at the same time (U15 T20, U17, U18 T20) Millfield Prep: p95 thecricketer.com | 43

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS MYERSCOUGH COLLEGE St Michael’s Road Bilsborrow Preston Lancashire PR3 0RY Website: www.myerscough.ac.uk Admissions: enquiries@myerscough.ac.uk Established 1894 Number of students 7,000 (including 2,500 full-time and 1,000 in higher education) Notable fixtures 35 fixtures per year, including MCC, Sedbergh, Shrewsbury, Merchant Taylors’ Crosby, Manchester Grammar and Denstone College, plus university sides as well as county teams at various age groups from Lancashire, Cheshire and Cumbria Cricket professional Brett Pelser Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, representative XI encompassing around 50 students on the programme Girls’ cricket Supported through the programme and successfully integrated into boys’ teams Facilities Full use of the indoor facilities at Lancashire CCC – five indoor lanes with run-ups, an area for fielding and wicketkeeping practice, four bowling machines.

The home ground close to Old Trafford has three artificial nets, a grass wicket and the provision for middle practice Club/county affiliation Lancashire and Cheshire Brief history The College Centre at Old Trafford has been established in the last 10 years.

The college itself dates back to the 19th century, originally established as an agricultural college, and moved to the current site in 1969.

Several Myerscough centres have

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M Y ERSCOUGH COLLEGE // NEW HALL SCHOOL

been added in Blackburn, Burnley, Liverpool and Manchester. The centre at Lancashire has grown massively in the last four years from student numbers of only 11 to over 50 students enrolled for September 2018. The cricket has grown tremendously from three fixtures to over 30 competitive fixtures. Myerscough are able to attract students from all over the country who wish to combine their college education with a High Performance Cricket Programme Cricketers of note Ashley Shaw (Kent), George Harding (Durham), Owais Shah (Scotland A) Extras With a small and experienced staff but an incredibly supportive environment, Myerscough students have been able to flourish both academically and on the pitch on a limited budget and free to the student. The college regularly competes in fixtures over our summer term taking on some of the best schools in the north Best prospect Shah Future plans Myerscough are taking on more teaching, coaching and support staff, and busily engaging with more local clubs and schools within the local area to access more grounds for fixtures Finest moment on the field The 1st XI have beaten many county age-group sides in recent years but arguably the finest moment was to play in March 2017 against North West at Senwes Park, Potchefstroom, which has hosted two Test matches for South Africa. It was part of a 10-day pre-season tour

Dan Atkinson Master in charge

NEW HALL SCHOOL The Avenue Boreham Chelmsford Essex CM3 3HS Established In 1642, founded as a Catholic girls’ school. Boys joined from 2005 Number of pupils 1,180 Notable fixtures 100–120 fixtures, including MCC during cricket week.

Also compete against Felsted, Whitgift, Gresham’s, Norwich, Brentwood, Sevenoaks Director of cricket Paul Davidge (Wiltshire & Berkshire) Cricket professional Nasser Hussain (Essex & England) Teams 22 boys’ teams, including 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12AB Girls’ cricket In the senior school, New Hall runs two girls’ teams over the summer months at U13 and U15 level. Girls’ cricket starts in the prep school at U8 and continues up into the senior school. Girls play cricket in midweek blocks in years 7 and 8 and all age groups from U12-U15 enter and play in the National and County Cups Facilities Outdoor: four turf pitches, including a cricket-specific ground, six acres; one astro wicket, two open-backed cages and a four-lane outdoor net area. Twolane indoor nets, bowling machine and state-of-the-art fielding equipment Club/county affiliation Essex Brief history As a new school to boys sport, the cricketing accolade achieved by the school is quite remarkable. In three years the schools 1st XI fixture has expanded from nine to 24 and the age groups are a dominant force in county

competitions. In 2017, the U12s, U13s, U14s and U15s all won the Essex County Cups. Ten teams play regularly in the Trinity term and, as a school, complete more than 125 fixtures each season. The 1st XI compete against some of the very best schools and play a mixture of T20, 40-over and all day cricket. U12–U15 teams compete in regular fixtures and have consistent success in the County Cups. The winter programme offers the best players an opportunity to further develop their skills in one of two academy groups. The junior academy embark on a biannual tour, which ventured to Sri Lanka at Easter 2017. The 1st XI will venture to Cape Town in February 2020 Best prospect Ronnie McKenna, a Year 9 who keeps wicket and bats at No.4 for the 1st XI Future plans Fixtures are being developed for girls from Years 7 to 9 Extras Regular success in County Cups, back-to-back success in the U13 National Cup and the number of boys or girls who represent the county are just some examples of the establishing cricketing programme at the school. New Hall hosts the Senior Emerging Players programme for Essex in the winter months, county age-group fixtures, and has been selected to be a training base for Spain, Denmark and Guernsey during the ICC Under-19 World Cup in the summer Finest moment on the field During the 2017 season the school achieved the unprecedented feat of winning all four County Cups between the ages of U12– U15. During this same season the U13s also progressed through to the quarter-finals of the National Cup. In 2018 four sides competed in national competitions

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS NORWICH SCHOOL 71a The Close Norwich Norfolk NR1 4DD Established 1547 Number of pupils 1,090 Notable fixtures 264 in all, including MCC, Oundle, Trent College, Harrow, The Perse, The Leys Head of cricket Jed Cawkwell Cricket professional David Thomas (Norfolk), Joe Gatting (Sussex & Hampshire) Teams 43 in all, including 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12AB, U11ABCD, U9ABCD Girls’ cricket 1st XI, U15ABCD, U13ABCDE, U11ABCD, U9ABCD, U8AB Facilities Two-lane purpose-built cricket gallery, sports hall with cricket facilities; 14 grass nets (used in groups of four and a separate two), six astro nets, six grass cricket squares and two Flicx pitches Club/county affiliation Links

OAKHAM SCHOOL Chapel Close Market Place Oakham Rutland LE15 6DT Established 1584 Number of pupils 1,031 Notable fixtures Eton, Harrow, Millfield, Bedford, Wellington College, Tonbridge, Felsted, MCC, XL Club, Uppingham. Brighton, Oakham, Wellington and Sedbergh.

U15s play in Millfield School Festival Cricket professionals Neil Johnson (Zimbabwe); Darren Bicknell (Surrey & Notts); Frank Hayes (Lancashire & England); Wes Durston (Somerset & Derbyshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABCD, U13AB, U12ABCD; Girls’ 1st XI Girls’ cricket Oakham’s girls’ team are in their second season, with matches against Oundle, Stamford, The Perse and Wisbech Facilities Oakham has two grounds.

Doncaster Close has four squares, 13 grass nets, seven artificial nets 46 | thecricketer.com

NORWICH SCHOOL // OAK HAM SCHOOL

with four East Anglian Premier League clubs, Norfolk, and recently established partnership with Sussex Brief history Norwich School has a long and fascinating history. Its roots and the buildings it occupies date back to the foundation of the Cathedral in 1087. The 1st XI play in the Cathedral Close in Norwich with the Cathedral providing a stunning and historic backdrop. Cricket was first played at the Lower Close in around 1862 when the school was able to lease a meadow from the Dean and Chapter. It took 80 cartloads of soil to level the ground that is still played on today Cricketers of note George Walker (Leicestershire & Derbyshire), Clive Radley (Middlesex & England) Extras Norwich School is the home of the Norwich MCC Foundation Hub, providing excellent facilities, coaching and fixtures for cricketers from local state schools Best prospect Harry Williams Future plans In the early stages of a partnership with Sussex CCC, which has been set up to provide young cricketers in the area with

a straightforward pathway to first class cricket. There were 13 involved in the first year of this partnership, two of which have been invited down to Sussex to play in the summer, and another one who has been invited to train and play with England Women. The 1st XI went to La Manga, Spain in Easter 2016 for a seven-day tour and a return there in 2019 is planned Finest moment on the field The U15s lost a nail-biting semi-final to Sedbergh in the ESCA competition in 2014. Matthew Plater scored 200 not out in the final of the 2012 U14 Norfolk Bunbury Cup T20.

Reaching the last eight of the U15 and U17 National Cups in the last couple of years have also been a highlight Cultural cricketers Lord Nelson attended the school in the 1770s; Sir Edward Coke, Humphry Repton, Lt-Col Derek Seagrim, Major Hugh Seagrim, Lord Blake, Lord Ashcroft.

Joe Wells (formerly of Kent and father of HG Wells) was the master from 1873–75. The school team is reported to have had two very good seasons during his time. He was also the first man in first-class cricket to take four wickets in four balls

and a coaching net with bowling machine. The BAF Smith Pavilion, new for 2014, provides first-class facilities for teams and guests.

Wilson Fields has a purpose-built cricket pavilion, two square and grass nets, and hosts county games County affiliation Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire Brief history Oakham has an enviable cricket reputation and in the last decade or so six ex-pupils have joined the professional ranks, including Stuart Broad. Coaches Frank Hayes and David Steele have been followed by Phil DeFreitas, John Crawley and Johnson

Cricketers of note Percy Chapman (England) began at Oakham before moving to Uppingham, SKW Kelly (Bermuda), GH Maybury (Bermuda), Broad (England), Lucy Pearson (England Women), Matthew Boyce (Leics), Josh Cobb (Leics & Northants), Ian Saxelby (Notts), Alex Wyatt (Leics), Tom Fell (Worcs). Broad says: “Both coaches taught the majesty and theory of the game through storytelling. Mr Hayes would break everything down into its simplest form. Cricket is the sort of game where things can get very complicated and detailed

with video analysis and all kinds of whatnot muddying the waters.

He taught us that if your basics are solid, the rest will follow. Mr Steele was a huge character and fired enthusiasm with witty and inspiring anecdotes. It was never ‘get in the nets’ and just work, work, work. You would stroll around the boundary with him and he would tell you stories about how he used to face the Australians and it just made you want to play. For both of them, I guess, it came down to storytelling.

Kids like stories.”

Best prospect Nick Kimber Future plans 2019 tour to Dubai Extras In 2017 Oakham was a training and warm-up venue for the Women’s World Cup, and a Royal London Cup game was played there Finest moment on the field In 2014 Oakham hosted the Bunbury Festival. Winning the BOWS Festival in 2014 at Brighton. Beating Eton in the inaugural game in 2003. Barghav Modha taking all 10 wickets v Worksop in 2004. Beating Harrow by nine wickets in 2004.

Chasing 279 against Wellington in 2010, when Fell made 152

ORMSK IRK SCHOOL

ORMSKIRK SCHOOL Wigan Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 2AT Established 1612. The amalgamation of two schools – Cross Hall High and Ormskirk Grammar – formed Ormskirk School in 2001 Number of pupils 1,450

Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Women, XL Club Boys’ cricket master in charge Phil Wakefield and Chris Davis Girls’ cricket master in charge Laura Goff and Vikki Heaton Teams 1st XI – 22-plus fixtures, U15A, U14A, U13A, U12A; Girls’ 1st XI, U15A, U13A Girls’ cricket Strong programme from within the state sector, with local, county and national success.

Many girls go on to play local club

cricket, county representation.

Winners of the National Chance to Shine Brit Insurance Award for the Development of the girls’ game in 2010. Winners of the Lady Taverners competition in 2013 and 2015 and finalists in 2017, Chance to Shine winners in 2013 and finalists for 2016 competition.

They have also entered the School Sports Magazine girls’ T20 hardball competition for the second time this year, after developing such a strong interest from the girls Facilities Indoor nets, outdoor nets, two grounds (St Helens Road and use of Ormskirk CC) Club/county affiliation Lancashire Brief history The market town of Ormskirk has a proud and long cricket heritage and the former members of the school have always been present in Ormskirk CC 1st XI. When cricket became dormant in comprehensive schools in the 1990s the school continued to retain a Saturday fixture list and still play regular Saturday fixtures. Girls’ cricket has continued to take off in the school, with two of Lancashire’s first team, Rachel Dickinson and Laura Jackson, being instrumental in the early success

Cricketers of note Rachel Dickinson (Lancashire & EWDP U19), Laura Jackson (Lancashire), Jonny Armstrong (England Schoolboys) Best prospect Nathan Brighouse, Year 8 batting allrounder. Playing for the West Lancashire district squad and Ormskirk CC senior 4ths Finest moment on the field Winning both the U13 Girls indoor and outdoor national finals in 2013, and being the first comprehensive school in history to be invited to play MCC Women in 2015 thecricketer.com | 47

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS OUNDLE SCHOOL Church Street Oundle Northamptonshire PE8 4EE Established 1556 Notable fixtures MCC, take part in the prestigious Silk trophy (Eton, Shrewsbury, Oundle and a premier touring team each year). The U15s play in a festival involving St Peter’s, York, Oundle, Trent College and Cheltenham Director of cricket John Crawley Cricket professional Merwe Genis is in his 17th season Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U16AB, U15ABCD, U14ABCD, U13ABCD Girls’ cricket The first girls’ match was against the Oundle Town CC women’s team in May 2016 Facilities A new sports hall is about to be constructed with four more indoor nets with technology facilities for data management and video facilities. The current sports hall will remain and has four nets. A state-of-the-art outdoor facility has just been constructed with 10 artificial nets,

OUNDLE SCHOOL // QUEEN MARY ’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL

plus 10 others. The school has eight grounds (including Oundle Town CC) Club/county affiliation Northamptonshire CCC and Oundle Town CC Brief history Cricket has been played at Oundle since at least 1830 although the first match for which a full score survives was against Uppingham in 1855.

The awarding of proper cricket colours dates back to 1876 when the Rev Henry St John Reade (who played for Northants during his time at the school) took over as head. The current ground has been in use since the 1880s. Mike Mills, after whom the new pavilion is named, came to the school as a pupil in 1935, returned as a master after war service, was master in charge and then ran the Oundle Rovers side – an involvement spanning 70-odd years Cricketers of note Fifty first-class players including John Morley Lee (Cambridge University & Surrey), Reggie Ingle (captain of Somerset

QUEEN MARY’S GRAMMAR SCHOOL Sutton Road Walsall WS1 2PG Established 1554 Number of pupils 1,011 (361 in the sixth form – mixed boys/girls) Fixtures 120-150 per year including some Saturdays (includes the Staffordshire Cup from U12-U15, National U19 T20, The Cricket Paper National Schools U17 Cup, QMGS 10s (U12 & U15), Adams’ Grammar 10s (U12-U15), U13 Bromsgrove 10s Invitational, Tettenhall T8, KES Stratford senior six-a-side, Bablake T20, Solihull six-a-side (U12-U15), Staffordshire Chance to Compete Indoor/ Outdoor softball tournaments.

Master in charge Ben Gibbons Teams U12 ABC, U13 AB, U14 AB, U15 AB, U17 XI (cups). 2nd & 1st XIs Girls’ cricket It is an all-boys school Y7-Y11 with girls in the sixth 48 | thecricketer.com

form. Potential to run some house competitions/fixtures Facilities Indoor Sports Hall – three-lane nets, Bola, Paceman.

Outdoors – two squares (junior square includes an artificial strip), one outdoor roll-on net to be used on practice wicket. Tarpaulin cover Club/county affiliation Staffordshire. Walsall 3rd XI use the school’s ground as their home pitch Brief history It is a selective state grammar school (non-fee paying).

The school has had a team since 19th century and the first recorded match took place in 1874 between Queen Mary’s and Walsall CC in Old Chuckery. Queen Mary’s’ most illustrious cricketer, David Brown,

1932–37), Frank Greenwood (captained Yorkshire to the title in 1931), Mills (the last surviving captain against the 1948 Australians), Tom Harrison (Derbyshire and ECB chief executive), Will Jefferson (Essex, Notts, Leics, England A) and Greg Smith (Leics & Notts) Extras The school is one of the first hubs for the MCC Foundation. WG Grace scored his 200th century in all cricket on the school’s ground. Clark Gable (stationed at a nearby USAF base during World War Two) brought a camera crew to film cricket at the school

was at the forefront of the school’s success in the Walsall Knockout in the late 1950s/early 1960s.

Professional cricketers David Brown (Warwickshire & England), Leonard Taylor, Nicholas Archer (Staffs), Amit Sharma (Worcestershire 2nd XI) Finest moment on the field U15 Schools T20 – regional winners (Staffordshire 2015) – knocked out

by Warwick School in the Midlands quarters. 2015 U14 Adams’ Grammar 10s winners. Hashim Iqbal scored an unbeaten 101 for the 2nd XI in 2017 at the age of 14. The RR Taylor Bowling Award (Mounted Ball) is presented to the leading wicket taker in the 1st XI each season – the cricket ball was presented to the school in the 1980s

Ben Gibbons Master in charge

Finest moment on the field The 1976 team was unbeaten against all school sides. The 2004 side, under Cameron Wake, won 15 matches with no defeats and lifted the Silk Trophy for the first and only time Cultural cricketers The 1949 team – which gave rise to ‘The Assassins’ – which included Sir Michael Pickard (prominent businessman and one-time president of Surrey) and Shahryar Khan (who has been Pakistan foreign secretary and a past chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board), Professor Richard Dawkins, Arthur Marshall

by the family of RR Taylor who took 10 for 17 against Tettenhall College in 1915. Three 1st XI batting records held

by Ian M Wilcox (1990) – most runs in a season (836), most centuries (three) and highest score (191) Extras Queen Mary’s is a statefunded school where cricket has always been the main summer sport but has begun to flourish within the last five years. The appointment of Ben Gibbons has contributed to an enhanced profile thanks to the backing of Timothy Swain and Richard Langton (successive headmasters).

Best prospect Jacob Clarke (Year 9) Walmley CC, Warks U14/U15 Tours 1993 South Africa, 1998 Canada, 2012 Sri Lanka, 2018 – U13 Isle of Man. Upcoming: U13 Isle of Man 2019 and overseas U16 to Sri Lanka 2019 Cultural cricketers Malvind Benning (Mansfield Town FC), FT Cozens (president, Birmingham & District Premier Cricket League)

QUEEN’S COLLEGE, TAUN T ON // RADLE Y COLLEGE

QUEEN’S COLLEGE, TAUNTON Trull Road Taunton Somerset TA1 4QS Established 1843 Notable fixtures MCC, Millfield, XL Club, Taunton School, Blundell’s Acting director of cricket Jake Lintott Cricket professional Arul Suppiah (Somerset & Malaysia) Teams Eight senior teams and five junior teams Girls’ cricket Queen’s runs the Broderick Girls’ U15 tournament annually, with six schools taking part this year. The school also runs regular practice sessions every week from January to June Facilities Six match squares, six outdoor artificial nets, mobile outdoor nets, four indoor nets Club/county affiliation Somerset, Taunton St Andrews CC, Taunton Deane CC, Taunton Vale CC and Shapwick & Polden CC Brief history First known as the Wesleyan Collegiate Institute, Queen’s College was established by the Wesleyan Methodist Church in

RADLEY COLLEGE Kennington Road Radley Abingdon Oxfordshire OX14 2HR Established 1847 Notable fixtures The 1st XI play 23 games a year and the two cup

1843. It was built by Giles and Gane in 1874 and has been designated as a Grade II-listed building. It first began admitting girls during the 1970s and is now fully coeducational. The college’s motto is non scholae sed vitae discimus (“We educate not just for school but for life”). The school has sports teams in cricket, rugby union, hockey, swimming, athletics, netball and tennis. The school also provides other popular disciplines such as

rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, canoe polo, fencing, Duke of Edinburgh Award, mountaineering, badminton and horse riding Cricketers of note Gary Palmer (Somerset), Ben Ackland (Ireland & Northamptonshire), Jake Lintott (Dorset), Matt Gitsham (Gloucestershire), Will Bates Finest moment on the field Tom Hazell-Evans scoring 108 against the MCC last year (as a 15-year-old) along with Fionn Hand taking five

wickets this summer versus MCC. Hand was also selected to trial with the full Ireland Test squad this year as a Year 13 student. Joe Gore taking a hat-trick against Downside (April 2016), Rudi Claassen scoring 105 not out against MCC (May 2016), Ben Ackland’s 1,000 runs in a season (2007) Cultural cricketers Rugby player Dean Ryan, racehorse trainer Martin Pipe and Conservative MP for Basildon & Billericay John Baron

competitions (Cowdrey Cup and John Harvey Cup) are the biggest games. Eton, Harrow, Tonbridge, Charterhouse, Wellington, Marlborough, Cheltenham, St Edward’s Oxford, Winchester, Bradfield, MCC and wandering sides Master in charge Simon Dalrymple Cricket professional Andy Wagner – 2013 Sky Sports ECB coach of

the year – has just completed 100 terms. He also coaches Middlesex age-group sides Teams 20 teams across four ages Facilities Five indoor nets, 26 outdoor artificial nets, 10 grass nets and 11 grass squares Club/county affiliation Middlesex Brief history Radley’s cricket tradition is a strong one. The sport was launched as an alternative for rowing in the early 1850s and the first recorded fixture was against Bradfield in 1853. Since then there have been a number of ‘golden eras’ with the sides of the 1866–67, 1929–32 deserving special mention.

Andy Wagner is synonymous with Radley cricket and worked alongside Bert Robinson (who managed 51 consecutive seasons as cricket professional) for 30 years.

They produced a string of unbeaten sides in the 1990s and nurtured Robin Martin-Jenkins, Andrew Strauss, Ben Hutton and Jamie Dalrymple. There was another strong crop of Nick Gubbins, Wilf

Marriot and Alex Hearne who were all selected to play for the same England Under-15s in 2009, and the school hosted the 2016 Bunbury Festival Cricketers of note Ted Dexter (Sussex & England), Andrew Strauss (Middlesex & England), Ben Hutton (Middlesex), Robin Martin-Jenkins (Sussex), Jamie Dalrymple (Middlesex, Glamorgan & England), Nick Gubbins (Middlesex) among others Finest moments on the field The 1999 side won nine out of 10 matches in timed cricket, taking 98 of a possible 100 wickets. The school won back-to-back Cowdrey Cup triumphs in 2007 and 2008 Extras There is a plan to build a cricket school Touring The college has toured Dubai and visited Desert Springs, Spain, in recent years. Next year they plan to play in the European version of the ARCH trophy and are keen to support the Cricket Builds Hope project in Rwanda thecricketer.com | 49

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS REED’S SCHOOL // REIGAT E GRAMMAR SCHOOL REED’S SCHOOL Sandy Lane Cobham Surrey KT11 2ES Established 1813 Number of pupils 706 Notable fixtures 1st XI has 20 games – MCC, Stock Exchange, XL Club, St Paul’s, Hampton, Hurstpierpoint. School has 184 Director of cricket Malcolm Dunn Cricket professional Keith Medlycott (Surrey) Teams 22 – Senior 5, U15 ABC, U14 ABCDE, U13 ABCD, U12 ABCD, Girls (Senior) one Girls’ cricket Just completed first season, with four fixtures Facilities Four squares, two Flicx wickets, satellite ground: two squares, eight grass nets, six artificial nets, state-of-the-art indoor centre – five-net lanes with analysis software installed, plus Merlyn and TrueMan BOLA machines Club/county affiliation Surrey Brief history Cricket has been

played at Cobham since the school arrived from Watford just after the war. Reed’s inherited an extremely beautiful, if slightly small, ground formerly used by the Preparatory School Sandroyd. The game became more important in the 1960s under two great headmasters, Bob Drayson and Rodney Exton. His experience as a county cricketer at Hampshire when he was still a schoolboy drove the game to greater heights. More recently, newly retired headmaster David Jarrett, a Blue at Oxford and Cambridge, encouraged the sport to reach its highest standard in the history of the school. Reed’s produced DO ‘Doug’ Taylor who opened the batting for England Schools, Adam Jones who kept Jack Richards out of the Surrey Schools side and Mark Rowland who played at Hampshire and Sussex. Former captain James Morrison (now a professional golfer on the European Tour) was a team-mate of Alastair Cook and Ravi Bopara. Now they have a number of boys playing for county and national academies,

plus leavers who are in the MCCU programme and a couple who have tasted the experience of first-class cricket. They regularly tour the Caribbean with two teams selected from boys across three year groups so that the touring experience can be tasted by as many as possible before leaving the school Cricketers of note Phil Salt (Sussex) Best prospect Nathan Tilley, Surrey Academy and current Reed’s 1st XI captain in Year 12 Extras Surrey Women play their

REIGATE GRAMMAR SCHOOL Reigate Road Reigate Surrey RH2 0QS Established 1675 Number of pupils 1,000 Notable fixtures 125 across the school. MCC, Dulwich, Epsom, St John’s Leatherhead, St George’s Weybridge, RGS Guildford, Christ’s Hospital, CLFS, Caterham and KCS Wimbledon. Plans for Hurstpierpoint, Reed’s & Hampton. Newly formed league – Sutton Valence, Sevenoaks, King’s Canterbury, Judd and Eltham. Trinity Schools T20, RGS 6s tournaments, HMC T20, National U17 Cup, Surrey County Cups. Trinity Schools T20, RGS 6s tournaments, HMC T20, National U17 Cup, Surrey County Cups. Developing prep school connections – Shrewsbury House, Cranmore, Lanesborough, Northcote Lodge and Chinthurst Head of cricket James Leck

50 | thecricketer.com

Cricket professional Joey Benjamin (Surrey, Warwickshire & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12AB Girls’ cricket Three teams up and running, competing in the Surrey County Cup. Increasing in popularity, girls are also playing boys’ cricket and more remit to follow in 2019 and beyond.

Overhaul of games structure next year with new director of sport, increasing emphasis on the girls’ fixture lists Facilities Hartwood Sports Grounds – three squares/outfields and six outdoor nets; two indoor net facilities – sports halls at main school and prep school Club/county affiliation Surrey,

Sussex, Reigate Priory , Dorking, South Nutfield – developing links with Banstead Brief history Reigate Grammar was established in 1675 with a philanthropic focus, and the school still continues its strong heritage today offering a large number of bursary places. Sport is a key element in the lives of Reigatians and cricket is the major summer term sport. Reigate offers students access to high-class facilities and coaching and looks to develop a love and appreciation for the game in all that play Cricketers of note Will Beer, Andy Babbington, Nick Faulkner Extras Reigate Grammar sport was judged excellent in the 2015

matches on Reed’s main wicket, with many international cricketers on show. Throughout the season the school hosts many Surrey agegroup matches and tournaments Finest moment on the field Quarter-finalist of HMC National T20 2015, Surrey Cup winners at U14 and U15, 50/40 League winners 2014 and 2015 Cultural cricketers Celebrities who have played at Reed’s include Tim Henman, Tom Hardy and Alex Corbisiero ISI inspection. An extensive touring programme including Grenada, Barbados and Dubai Finest moment on the field Victories over MCC in 2014 and 2017 (chasing 220 in 45 overs for by five wickets with four balls to spare). This season the U15s reached finals day of the ESCA National T20 for the first time, while also reaching the U15 County Cup quarter-finals.

The U12s also reached the quarter-final Best prospect Sam Hall (Surrey CCC Academy, represented county 2nd XI, going away to Australia as part of the international cricket programme for the 2018/19 winter Cultural cricketers Laurie Reed (Rome Olympian 1960), Bill Frindall (scorer and statistician), David Walliams (comedian)

James Leck Head of Cricket

REP T ON SCHOOL // ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, HIGH W YCOMBE

REPTON SCHOOL Willington Road Repton Derby Derbyshire DE65 6FH Established 1557 Number of pupils 650 Notable fixtures MCC and a number of other major cricket schools make up a strong fixture list. The oldest fixtures include Uppingham (152 years), Malvern and Shrewsbury Director of cricket Ian Pollock Cricket professionals Howard Dytham, Andy Afford (Nottinghamshire & England A) and AJ Harris (Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Notts) Teams 10 teams across ages 13 to 18 Girls’ cricket No girls’ teams but Repton do offer some training. Girls play in boys’ teams Facilities Five indoor lanes, 10 outdoor nets, five grounds Club/county affiliation Derbyshire

ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, HIGH WYCOMBE Amersham Rd High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP13 6QT Number of pupils 1,400 Fixtures 145 in 2018 – Bradfield College, Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood, Wellington College, MCC, RGS Cricket Festival

Brief history Repton was founded in 1557 on the seat of an Augustine priory in South Derbyshire. It is now a flourishing, co-educational full boarding school. Repton is one of the UK’s oldest public schools and the buildings reflect its extensive heritage. The Square, where the 1st XI play is surrounded by ruins of the original Priory and in the shadows of St Wystan’s Church spire Cricketers of note The school has produced 11 Test players and

152 first-class cricketers since the 1880s. One of the most famous is CB Fry, one of England’s greatestever sportsmen (and once offered the throne of Albania).

Ross Whiteley (Worcestershire); Canada international Nitish Kumar, recently captain of ICC Americas, has played Caribbean Premier League for St Lucia Zouks, and made a first-class hundred for Loughborough MCCU and against Northamptonshire in 2017. Other

recent Old Reptonians include Chris Adams (Derbyshire, Sussex & England) and Derbyshire’s Tom Poynton and Paul Borrington. Two boys in the 2017 1st XI have played for Warwickshire 2nd XI Best prospect Anoop Chima made more than 400 runs in the 1st XI as an U14 player in 2017. He joined Repton from Canada, following in the footsteps of Kumar Extras Offering modern cricket in a school with considerable heritage.

Repton exposes the teams to a wide range of formats, from T20 to indoor to two-day. In the last two years they have hosted Derbyshire 2nd XI and a testimonial game for former Derbyshire captain Wayne Madsen. Repton played a 100-ball match against Warwick last season Finest moment on the field Schools T20 Winners 2008, and then a record-breaking 15 wins in a season in 2013 Cultural cricketers There are photos of the great writer Roald Dahl in cricket teams during his time at Repton

Master in charge BTR Berryman Team 18 – 1st XI, 2nd XI, U17, U15ABC, U14ABCD, U13ABCD, U12ABCD Facilities Three indoor nets, four outdoor astro nets, two adjacent squares, pavilion, covers and sightscreens Club/county affiliation Buckinghamshire Brief history A leading state school for cricket. The school’s current site has only been part of the school’s 454-year of history for just over the past 100. Prior to this cricket was

played among the cattle grazing on the Rye near what is now High Wycombe CC. There were often 10 games going on at once in close quarters and eventually land for adequate pitches was loaned to the school by Lord Carrington, the fee for which was paid from additional parent contributions. Moving up the hill to their current site made little difference to the number of games being played but it did offer the school a playing field of its own. With two pitches on the main site and a pavilion honouring our

alumni who lost their lives in WWII cricket has continued to flourish at the RGSH Cricketers of note Phil Newport (Worcestershire & England), Saif Zaib (Northants) Finest moment on the field Teddie Casterton winning Wisden Schools Young Cricketer of the Year 2018 Best prospect Aatish Anthathi – only U13 but has already hit three centuries and eight half-centuries for the school Tours Barbados 2019

thecricketer.com | 51

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS RUGBY SCHOOL Lawrence Sheriff Street Rugby Warwickshire CV22 5EH

Established 1567 Number of pupils 800 Notable fixtures 15-20 for 1st XI. MCC (175 years’ standing), Marlborough (two-day) since 1855.

The two schools played a one-day game at Lord’s last year to celebrate Rugby’s 450th anniversary. Clifton College (two-day) Cricket professional Michael Powell (Warwickshire, England A) Master in charge Alex Thomson 1st XI coach Sam Robinson Teams Boys – 4 senior, U15ABC, U14ABCD Girls’ cricket 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14). Girls’ cricket is growing rapidly and is now one of the most popular summer sports options.

Maia Bouchier, the first girl to play 1st XI cricket, spent two full seasons in the team and represented the school at Lord’s Facilities Eight indoor nets (at two sports centres), eight to 12 grass nets, six grass squares (two on the historic Close), several bowling machines, including one Merlyn Club/county affiliation Warwickshire and Northamptonshire. The school has hosted List A, 2nd XI and junior

52 | thecricketer.com

RUGBY SCHOOL

county fixtures in recent years Brief history Cricket has been played on the Close from the early 19th century and there are detailed scorebooks dating back to 1831. In the early years, fixtures were played against MCC, a number of the Oxbridge Colleges and wandering sides such as I Zingari and Free Foresters. Internal matches were played, with many lasting several days. The highlight of the season from the 1830s to the 1850s was The Tall against The Short (5ft 6in was the dividing point). In 1855, Rugby played Marlborough for the first time. Miles Giffard played for the 1st XI and Cornwall and was later hanged for the murder of his parents. The match has been played at numerous grounds, including The Oval, but Lord’s became its home for nearly 100 years until this came to an end in 1972. This two-day game continues today and alternates between the two schools. The 1st XI wear duck egg coloured shirts Cricketers of note PF Warner (Middx & England), HH Castens (South Africa), ER Wilson (England), RA Boddington (Lancs), JL Bryan (Kent), MD Lyon (Somst), Bev Lyon (Gloucs), MM Walford (Somst) MA Eagar (Gloucs), RR Montgomerie (Northants & Sussex) Finest moment on the field 1979 v Marlborough: “Rugby were left

with 177 to make in 80 minutes; the captain, David Cutter, reached this target with a mighty six off the penultimate ball.” Cutter’s son, James, was 2016 1st XI captain Extras Ex-pupil Giles Clarke was ECB chairman 2007–2015.

The school has also hosted ECB National Cup finals and ICC U15 European tournaments since 2012. The report from the 1979 Marlborough match reads: “Rugby were left with 177 to make in 80 minutes; the captain, David Cutter, reached this target with a mighty six off the penultimate ball.” One of the original seven schools named in the Public Schools Act (1868), Rugby has a long history of valuing sport as an integral part of education. Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, wrote in his memoirs that “it was to Arnold [Rugby’s great Victorian Headmaster] that we turned, more or less consciously, for inspiration”. Cricket subsequently featured in the 1900 Olympic Games, with Great Britain recording a victory over France Best prospect Jacob Bethell in the ‘F-Block’ (Year 9), has already cemented his place at the top or the order for the XI, as well as being part of the Warwickshire Elite Player Development Programme. A stylish left-hander and metronomic left-arm spinner, he trained at the Sir Garfield Sobers Academy in

his native Barbados, where the West Indian great is said to have called him “the best 12-year-old I have ever seen”. Bethell starred in the West Indies inter-island U15 tournament despite being two years below and is the paradigm of a focused and committed cricketer.

Bethell has also won four academic prizes in his first year at the school Tour plans 1st XI Tour to Sri Lanka in 2015 and Barbados in 2018. U15 and U14 sides travel to Dubai every two years, where the U15s take part in the ARCH Trophy Cultural cricketers In 1905 the bowling averages were headed by Rupert Brooke, later renowned for his war poetry. Herbert HaytonCastens, South Africa’s first captain in both cricket and rugby; Giles Clarke (ex-ECB chairman), Miles Giffard (English cricketer who was hanged for the murder of his parents), Charles McCarthy, who played in Burma’s only first-class cricket match in 1927, Gerard Rotherham (Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1918), William Yardley, dramatist. The school’s most famous cricketer is undoubtedly Pelham Warner, the founding editor of The Cricketer. A boy at Rugby in the 1880s, he played for Oxford University, Middlesex and England and was the manager of the infamous ‘Bodyline’ tour of Australia, before becoming president of MCC

SEDBERGH SCHOOL // SE VENOAKS SCHOOL

S EDBERGH SCHOOL Station Road Sedbergh Cumbria LA10 5HG

Established 1525 Number of pupils 530 Notable fixtures 1st XI have about 25. Regular fixtures against Lancashire, Yorkshire and Durham academies as well as top schools such as Shrewsbury and Bromsgrove. Annual BOWS Festival with Wellington College, Oakham & Brighton College Cricket master Chris Mahon Cricket professional Martin Speight (Durham & Sussex) Teams Seven in total: three senior teams, two U15, two U14. They also have a prep school which fields teams from U9–U13 Girls’ cricket Yes, but struggling to find fixtures. Not as many schools seem to be playing in the north as in the south and Midlands Facilities Indoor centre with four lanes, new double sports hall about to be completed with nets, six-bay outdoor net system, four grounds Club/county affiliation Situated in Cumbria but strong links with all the northern first-class counties

SEVENOAKS SCHOOL High Street Sevenoaks TN13 1HU

Established 1432 Number of pupils 1,077 Notable fixtures 100 against 30 different schools. MCC, King’s Canterbury, Judd, Sutton Valence, Eltham College among them Cricket professional/master in charge David Smith, replacing Chris Tavaré (Kent, Somerset & England) Teams 13 in all. Boys - 1st, 2nd, 3rd, U15AB, U14ABC, U13ABC. Girls U13, U12 Girls’ cricket Two girls’ teams in the junior school. They are introducing an U14 team from 2018/19. Quite a few girls play in the boys’ teams, including Coco Streets, who plays for the 1st XI and Sussex. Tash Farrant, a leaver in 2014, is an England centrally contracted player

Facilities Three pitches, five all-weather nets, three grass nets plus centre practice wickets, eight indoor nets Club/county affiliation Kent Brief history Unbeaten by other schools for seven years during the 1970s. Four played professional cricket from that period. Former Essex cricketer Alan Hurd was their inspirational coach. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw another series of top teams, including Omar and Shami Iqbal and Will House, who went on to win the Kent League with the Sevenoaks Vine in 1997.

Five players now representing Kent, Surrey and Sussex age groups Cricketers of note James GrahamBrown (Kent & Derbyshire), Chris Tavaré (Kent, Somst & England), Paul Downton (Kent, Middx & England), Guy Spelman (Kent), Will House (Kent & Sussex) and Tash Farrant (England Women) Best prospect Harry Houillon (now year 12). Top run-scorer including

Brief history The first match was played in 1841 against Kirkby Lonsdale, though in those days the team was supplemented by masters and local players. The first proper school game was against Giggleswick in 1879 when the current ground was established.

A hundred years later the school undertook its first overseas tour to the West Indies and has toured regularly since with recent destinations including Barbados, South Africa and Sri Lanka Cricketers of note Jordan Clark (Lancashire, joining Surrey) and Harry Brook (Yorkshire). Norman Mitchell-Innes is the only England player out of Sedbergh Best prospect Harry Brook, the 2017 captain who is already playing county cricket for Yorkshire Finest moment on the field They won the 1st XI National T20 title last season. In 2015 the U15s, U17s and 1st XI all reached national finals Future plans They hope to develop girls’ cricket while maintaining their status as one of the top boys’ schools nationally Best prospect George Hill (lowersixth former, Yorkshire Academy) Tours 2004 to Sri Lanka, 2007 to South Africa, 2009, 2012 and 2015 to Barbados

Dave Smith Cricket professional/ master in charge unbeaten century v MCC Extras The school offers coaching to boys and girls of all abilities and ages. Their one-to-one programme has been going for six years and caters for 50 pupils starting at 7.30am before school. This takes place throughout the year and is delivered by David Smith and his Invicta Cricket Coaching team. The Cricket academies, for selected pupils both at Sevenoaks and other local schools, are on a Thursday

evening in the Michaelmas term, run by Invicta. The school set up a league in 2017. This grew from five to six schools in 2018; Judd, Eltham College, Kings Canterbury, Reigate GS, Sevenoaks and Sutton Valence (Eltham won this year). They host two primary school tournaments each year. In 2018 10 schools entered and were split into two divisions Tours In 2017 the 1st XI toured Grenada. Next tour is in 2020, possibly to India thecricketer.com | 53

Excel in the Classroom, Flourish in the Field Your child’s journey starts at:

www.sedberghschool.org

Uniquely located between the Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Park, Sedbergh School provides an enriching education for children aged 13 to 18 years.

In 2018, Sedbergh was placed in the top 10% of schools in Britain for the progress pupils made between GCSE and A level. The same pupils achieved International, National and Regional titles in Rugby, Athletics, Netball, Shooting, Equestrian (Dressage, Arena Eventing and Show Jumping), Hockey, Tennis, Cricket, Golf, Taekwondo and Lacrosse.

Sedbergh School Sedbergh Cumbria LA10 5HG admissions@sedberghschool.org 015242 79211

A rich history and evolving vision of cricketing excellence

‘One of the top 10 sporting schools in the UK’ School Sports magazine

Sports scholarships available at 11+, 13+ and 16+ at the Top co-educational day school in Surrey (Five years running, The Telegraph and The Sunday Times)

Reigate Grammar School, Reigate Road, Reigate, Surrey RH2 0QS reigategrammar.org  RGSSport  @RGSSport

Contact: Mr James Leck, RGS Head of Cricket jcl@reigategrammar.org

Exceptional teamwork underpins every sporting activity at Sevenoaks, and our students and alumni compete at regional, national and international levels in many sports.

Co-educational boarding and day, 11-18.

www.sevenoaksschool.org

Registered charity 1101358

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS SGS COLLEGE Filton Avenue Filton Bristol BS34 7AT Number of pupils 15,000 Fixtures 15-20 MCC and private schools fixtures including Malvern, Blundell’s, BGS, Clifton College, Queen’s Taunton, Kings Taunton, Taunton School, Millfield Cricket professional Simon Hinks (Kent & Gloucestershire) Teams One in 2018, two next year Girls’ cricket They welcome girls in the academy. Alexandra McDonald is a graduate (Gloucestershire and England Women) Facilities Two- and six-lane indoor facilities. Grass outdoor nets.

Artificial outdoor nets Club/county affiliation Gloucestershire, but intake can attend from the whole of the

SHENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL Alexander Lane Brentwood Essex CM15 8RY

Established 1962 Number of pupils 1,000 Notable fixtures More than 100 for boys and girls 11-18. Most notable fixtures in 2018 included our first ever game with MCC, Eastbourne College, St Lawrence College, Bancroft’s, Felsted Cricket professional Cath Dalton Master in charge Garry Sapsford Teams U12 – two boys, 1 girls.

U13 – one boys, one girls. U14 – one boys, one girls. U15 – one boys, one girls. U17 - one boys. U18/19 - one boys, one girls Girls’ cricket Shenfield High organise and enter the Mid-Essex District & Essex County Cups.

They also enter the U15 National Schools T20. They enter the indoor Lady Taverners Cups, with U15 girls reaching the regional finals this year. They had their first U18 girls games this year Facilities Two indoor lanes, two outdoor nets, one wicket and

country Brief history Founded in 2007 – formerly (formerly Filton College), the SGS Cricket Academy has forged a strong reputation as a performance pathway into professional cricket. Four graduates are playing in the Gloucestershire 1st XI: Chris Dent, Craig Miles, James Bracey and George Drissell.

Many others have represented their county age group squads and minor counties Professional cricketers Dent, Miles, Bracey, Drissell, McDonald Extras SGS (or, to give it its full name, South Gloucestershire & Stroud College) is one of only a few state-funded colleges that hosts a cricket academy. The college timetable is established to allow all academy players to attend at least three sessions a week during college hours. A minimum of 10 hours a week is offered to academy players

Finest moment on the field Winners of national T20 in 2016.

Regional finalists in National Schools T20. Producing first-class cricketers Future plans The students play club matches each weekend (which is fairly rare in this age

group). They learn to play with and against adults through this process.

All players are encouraged to complete ECB coaching courses Best prospect Joe Dryell is in the Gloucestershire Academy Tours Trips to Barbados and South Africa are in the pipeline

regular use of local cricket clubs (Shenfield & Hutton CC) Club/county affiliation Essex, Shenfield CC, Hutton CC Brief history Cricket has a long tradition of excellence for a state school. Since 2003 when Shenfield won their first county cricket title the school have gone on to win more than 100 Essex county title indoor and outdoor boys and girls’ competitions. They reached the semi-final of the National Schools U17 comp in 2016, losing narrowly to Millfield Cricketers of note Matthew

Salisbury (Essex & Hampshire) Mady Villiers (Essex Women & Surrey Stars) Extras Among the leading nonselective state schools for cricket.

With very limited resources the school punches well above its weight in county and national competitions due to the passion for the sport among students and staff. The first state school to reach the Under-17 National Cup semi-final. Bi-annual tours to Cape Town South Africa – 2015, 2017 and 2019. Tour to Barbados as the first state school to play in

the Sir Gary Sobers Tournament in 2010 Best prospect Benji Parry (U12 Essex CCC wicketkeeper/batsman) Finest moment on the field Defeat of Bedford School by four runs to reach the National Cup semi-final in 2016. Beat Dulwich College to make the National Cup quarterfinal in 2013 Cultural cricketers Phillip Hammond (Chancellor of the Exchequer), Richard Madeley (TV presenter), Ross Kemp (actor), Fearne McCann (The Only Way Is Essex)

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS SHERBORNE SCHOOL Abbey Road Sherborne Dorset DT9 3AP

Established 1550 Number of pupils 560 Notable fixtures About 15 1st XI a year including Millfield, King’s College Taunton, Marlborough, Cheltenham, Clifton, MCC Master in charge Andrew Nurton and Matthew Pardoe (director of cricket coaching) Teams 13 – 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI,

SHIPLAKE COLLEGE Henley-on-Thames RG9 4BW Established 1959 Number of pupils 465: 405 boys from Year 7-13 and 60 girls in a co-educational sixth form Fixtures 140 across 13 teams ranging from U13C to the 1st XI. Regular block fixtures against Lord Wandsworth College, Reading Blue Coat, Oratory, Pangbourne, Abingdon School and Churchers College. The 1st XI also take part in the HMC T20 and this year entered the U17 National Cup for the first time, with great success Cricket professional Chris Ellison, former Yorkshire and Cornwall player Master in charge of cricket Jonnie Howorth

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SHERBORNE SCHOOL // SHIPL AK E SCHOOL

4th XI, 5th XI, U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABC Facilities Seven grass pitches, 12 grass nets, 12 astroturf nets, four-lane indoor sports hall Club/county affiliation Dorset, Somerset and Hampshire Brief history The earliest record of cricket being played at Sherborne School dates from August 1841 when Boarders played the Day Boys. The school’s first match against another school, King’s Bruton, was played in September 1846. In 1856 the school acquired its own pitch, The Upper, though it was two more years before the

first proper pitch was levelled and records of the XIs began. In 1874 Sherborne made their sole appearance at Lord’s and scored a resounding victory over Rossall Cricketers of note Rev DS Sheppard (Sussex & England), Arthur Carr (Nottinghamshire & England), Jimmy Adams (Hampshire), Ollie Sale (Somerset) Best prospect Harry Fisher, wicketkeeper/batsman Extras Sherborne host minor counties matches, which is a great chance for the boys to see an excellent standard of cricket in the flesh

Teams 13 - 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15A, U15B, U15C, U14A, U14B, U13A, U13B, U13C, girls’ XI and staff team Girls’ cricket For the first time this year girls had their own cricket week. The aim is to make it a main sports option in 2019 Facilities Four indoor nets, six outdoor grass nets, four astro-turf nets, three pitches on-site with a fourth available off site.

Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire. Players also represent Middlesex, Berkshire and Bucks across the age groups Extras Shiplake is a newcomer in relative age terms, founded in 1959. Since then cricket has played a major part in the college’s life.

The Front Field, where the 1st XI play their home games, is the hub of the school and matches are

always well supported. Cricket for all is the aim and they offer anyone who wants the chance to represent the school. Last summer a third of the whole school represented the college in competitive fixtures.

Shiplake seems to have coined the phrase “punching above its weight”. Despite the small size – 400 boys – they compete and often beat far bigger schools at cricket as well as in rowing and rugby. They host Berkshire age-group matches throughout the summer.

Finest moment on the field Having entered the U17 National Cup, Shiplake managed to make the regional final, knocking out Eton College and Tiffin School.

They then beat Winchester College before losing to Millfield in the quarter-finals Plans They are building strong

Finest moment on the field In 2015 the U15s reached the national final of the prestigious, two-year long ECB/ESCA Schools Trophy competition losing by one run on the final ball of the match Cultural cricketers Chris Martin (Coldplay), the Downton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville Sherborne Prep School: p102

links with local clubs at Henley and Harpsden and also host regular cricket workshops for primary school children in the local area.

Best prospect Matt Dalrymple (Berkshire U17) Tours They tour every two years as an U18 side, having been to Barbados in 2016 and Antigua this year. Sri Lanka 2020 is in the planning stage. In the past they have also taken an U16 side to the ARCH tournament in Dubai Jonnie Howorth Master in charge 0f cricket

shrewsbury school // simon l ang t on grammar school

SHREWSBURY SCHOOL Shrewsbury Shropshire SY3 7BA Established 1552 Number of pupils 783 Notable fixtures 300 per year – 20 for 1st XI. Millfield, Eton, Malvern, Manchester Grammar, Sedbergh, MCC, Free Foresters Master in charge Andy Barnard Cricket professional Adam Shantry (Northamptonshire, Warwickshire & Glamorgan) Teams U18ABC, U17, U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABCD Girls’ cricket Under-14s, Under 15AB, 2nd XI, 1st XI Facilities Six squares, 14 grass nets, four all-weather nets, four indoor lanes each with bowling machines (including a Merlyn), two astroturfs to practise fielding out of season. The only school to have a permanent, purpose-built, singleuse indoor centre, about to have a £50,000 refurbishment Club/county affiliation Shrewsbury CC. Many boys and girls play age-group for Shropshire teams. A number of boys and girls are members of county academies

SIMON LANGTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL Langton Ln, Nackington Rd Canterbury CT4 7AS Established 1881 Number of pupils 1,100 Fixtures About 70, plus cup runs.

Notable fixtures include MCC, Sandwich Town CC Master in charge James Whitnell and Phil Relf (Cricket academy head coach (former Kent assistant coach) Teams U12AB, U13AB, U14AB; U15AB; U17, 2XI, 1XI Girls’ cricket Offered for the first time this year with a small group

James Whitnell Master in charge

– Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Lancashire and Northants. Close links with Glamorgan academy – they use the centre for North Wales boys Brief history Shrewsbury School is a co-ed school for pupils aged 13-18 founded by Edward VI in 1552.

The school moved to the current site overlooking the town in 1882 from the centre of the town. Girls have been admitted into the sixth form since 2008 and since 2014 it has been fully co-educational.

The school’s old boys – or ‘Old Salopians’ – include Charles Darwin, poet Sir Phillip Sydney, Astronomer Royal Martin Rees, authors Samuel Butler & Nevile Shute, and

John Peel and Michael Palin Cricketers of note James Taylor (Leics, Notts & England), Joe Leach and Ed Barnard (Worcs), David Lloyd (Glamorgan), Ruaidhri Smith (Glamorgan & Scotland), Ed Pollock (Warks), Oliver Westbury (Worcs), Nick Pocock (Hants) Finest moment on the field HMC U18 T20 winners 2011 and 2013, Silk Trophy winners 2006, 2009, 2013–15 Extras Shrewsbury represented England in the inaugural ISF World Schools T20 in Mumbai in December 2016 Tours Australia and South Africa frequently and have established bases in both Perth and Cape Town.

Development of girls’ section has grown rapidly since girls arrived in 2008, but since co-ed in 2014 they now run five teams. In 2017 the school was runners-up in the Lord’s Taverners indoor final and runnersup in the School Sports Magazine National Cup. In 2018 they repeated their runners-up position in the Lord’s Taverners events and reached the quarter-finals of the School Sports Magazine National Cup. In February 2019 a squad of U17 girls will tour with U17 and U15 boys to Cape Town. An electronic scoreboard for the 1st XI is now up and running together with live streaming via Twitter and the full implementation of CricHQ. Shantry has completed his Level 4 coaching qualification Cultural cricketers Neville Cardus (assistant cricket coach 1912–16), comedian Nick Hancock, Tim Lamb (first Chief Executive of ECB)

Andy Barnard Master in charge of cricket attending training sessions with the view for competitive fixtures starting in 2019 Facilities Four bay indoor nets, two artificial outdoor nets, two grass practice wickets/nets, sightscreens, covers Club/county affiliation Kent.

Academy training is held at St Lawrence Ground Cricket history Cricket has always been played at this site since the school’s establishment in 1881, even though the original school was built in the town and boys would travel up to Nackington Road for Games.

The pavilion is still the original.

School records: Richard ‘Dick’ Legg – 102 wickets (1970); P Taylor – 815 runs (1971); R Gray – 42 wickets (1971) Extras Unique partnership with Canterbury Academy to provide Canterbury Institute of Sport Elite Cricket Academy which takes the best senior cricketers from both schools and gives them access to the highest quality coaching (led by Relf) at the indoor centre at Kent

CCC. What makes this venture so special is that it is between two state schools. As a state school it is also rare that they are able to take on some of the big cricketing private schools such as Whitgift, Tonbridge, Charterhouse in these national competitions Finest moment on the field Last year saw the first visit of MCC which is now annual. This year saw them progress to the SE Finals of the National T20. Any of the Lemon Cup (Kent Cup) wins over the years, of which there have been several Future plans Extension of the

cricket academy which is a joint partnership with Canterbury Academy (formerly Canterbury High School), new four-bay permanent outdoor nets to replace the existing two-bay Cultural cricketers Sir Freddie Laker. He was expelled from the school (reason unknown) but in his time was a pugnacious batsman Best prospect Tom Davis (Kent Academy and Kent 2nd XI, Canterbury CC, Current year 12) Tours Biannual tour to Caribbean (usually Barbados) has been running for more than 20 years

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10 professional cricketers since 2008 a world-class indoor cricket centre “the most beautiful playing fields in the world” sir neville cardus Boys HMC National Schools T20 – Winners (twice) & Finals Day (five times) since 2010 Boys National U17 Cup – Winners or Runners Up (four times) since 2012 Girls School Sports U15 Cup – Finals Day 2017 & 2018 Lady Taverners National Indoor Cup – Runners Up 2017 & 2018 Scholarships and bursaries are available for talented pupils at 13+ and 16+.

Please contact us for further details or to book an Open Day place.

Shrewsbury School

admissions@shrewsbury.org.uk 01743 280552 www.shrewsbury.org.uk ShrewsSchool

Mixes the erudite with the sporty and studious, with space reserved for the eclectic and maverick. Ideal for those keen to learn within and beyond the bounds of the classroom.

Good Schools Guide

Why not come and see what Stowe

480 boys (aged 11-18) and girls (aged 16-18) ISI rated ‘Excellent’ in all categories Full, weekly and flexi-boarding to suit your needs Cricket scholarships and funded places available

has to offer at one of our Open Mornings Scholarships and bursaries are available

Shiplake College is proud to be in The Cricketer’s Top 100 Schools

www.shiplake.org.uk

admissions@stowe.co.uk | 01280 818000 | www.stowe.co.uk

S T DUNS TAN’S COLLEGE // S T JOHN’S SCHOOL , LE AT HERHE AD

ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE Stanstead Rd London SE6 4TY Estabished 1897 Teams 35. U8-U15 AB (plus the odd C and D) and 1st XI. Girls’ and boys’ A and B for U12-U15 plus a couple of C and D team festivals Master in charge of cricket Richard Linfield Fixtures The school plays against MCC and The XL Club. Last year they won the XL Club regional award Girls’ cricket? Every single girl plays in the school and lessons are co-ed.

Girls play in the hardball teams if good enough and it is a huge area at the school right now. They also host girls’ cricket festivals Facilities Four indoor nets, four astroturf outdoor nets. Practice

ST JOHN’S SCHOOL, LEATHERHEAD Epsom Road Leatherhead Surrey KT22 8SP Estabished 1851 Number of pupils 700 Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13AB, U12AB Fixtures 15 1st XI fixtures – including MCC, XL Club, St Paul’s School, Eastbourne College,

wickets on the square if requested.

Club/county affiliation?

Kent CCC Hub and MCC Hub. In addition, Linfield has set up an academy with Kent, providing opportunities for Kent age-group players to train at the college under his guidance.

Brief history Cricket is the only sport in the school to have been played every year since it was established. It is a game built on tradition, but adapting to rise of girls’ cricket and T20 Finest moment on the field “Seeing so many younger players represent the 1st XI is fantastic” Plans for the future More club links planned beyond Catford CC. The sports ground continues to be redeveloped, and astroturf nets are to be built Best prospect James Ronay Cultural cricketers Chuka Umunna (Labour MP)

Hampton School, KCS Wimbledon and Reed’s School. Each year the 1st XI take part in an end-ofsummer cricket festival alongside Brentwood School, Ipswich School and Abingdon Cricket professional David Hammond (Essex CCC) Girls’ cricket U12, U13 and U15 girls’ cricket is played throughout the summer. A mix of softball and hardball matches are played against various schools and clubs. Fixtures against Dunottar, Epsom College and Kingston Grammar School.

The surge in popularity of women’s cricket is inspiring pupils at St Dunstan’s

The girls also take part in cricket festivals each year, which vary from softball games to six-a-side tournaments Facilities Four indoor nets, 12 outdoor nets, four squares and four cages Club/county affiliation Surrey CCC Brief history Cricket is the major sport for boys in the summer term at St John’s. The school’s aim is to provide cricketers of all ages and abilities the chance to take part and represent the school. It also encourages pupils at the elite level

to play and have the chance of representing their county, region or country Cricketers of note David Balcombe (Hampshire & Surrey) Finest moment on the field Winning back-to-back 1st XI festival trophies. Being crowned U14 county champions in 2016 Tours U15s toured Dubai in 2015 and 2016 to take part in the Arch Cup. Senior cricket tour to Sri Lanka this autumn. U13s preseason training camp to La Manga in Spain every year Extras Two beautiful grounds next to each other, regularly used by Surrey age-group sides and Surrey Over-50s. For a school of its size, they compete against some of the strongest schools in the region and play on a very competitive circuit.

New state-of-the-art sports hall/ complex due to be built in the next two years following the completion of new swimming pool. Hammond runs a training programme throughout the winter months for all St John’s cricketers, and this provides a great opportunity for the players to continue practising their skills out of season. One-to-one training sessions are also available Best prospect Ben Geddes Cultural cricketers Simon Thomas (Sky TV), George Kruis (England rugby international) thecricketer.com | 59

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

s t paul’s school

ST PAUL’S SCHOOL Lonsdale Road London SW13 9JT Established 1509 Number of pupils 954 in the senior school and 458 in the junior school Notable fixtures 216 – Eton, Dulwich, MCC, Cranleigh Director of cricket Nigel Briers (Leicestershire captain) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABCD, U11ABCD, U10ABCD, U9ABCD, U8ABCD Facilities Five indoor cricket nets, seven outdoor nets, eight grounds Club/county affiliation Middlesex Brief history The first Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, was at St Paul’s School in the early 1660s and there is much evidence that the practice of playing cricket had already reached London from Kent. It is, therefore, reasonable to conclude that St Paul’s School was one of the first schools to take up the game of cricket. The School used to play at The Oval for 25 years up to 1884. Surrey use the present ground for junior county matches Cricketers of note Percy Fender (Sussex, Surrey & England), Aubrey Faulkner (South Africa) Best prospect Abdullah Nazir (17) is an able left-arm spinner.

He is playing 2nd XI and academy matches with Sussex Extras St Paul’s School is considered one of the leading academic schools in the country as well as maintaining a strong

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reputation in sport and particularly cricket (and without sports scholars and sports bursaries). All the grounds are located on a 43-acre site by the River Thames, in Barnes and surround the school buildings. For an independent day school in inner London having the grounds on the site is a bonus Finest moment on the field In 2015 Tom Powe (134) and Harveer Mahajan (105) both scored centuries against Hampton in a score of 301 for 4 off 50 overs.

Winning a record 12 matches against other schools from 13 fixtures in 2016 was a highlight Cultural cricketers Awardwinning novelist Patrick Neate and actor/director Harry Burton played 1st XI cricket, as did actor/voiceover Jonathan Kydd, actor Rory Kinnear played in junior teams

s t pe t er’s school, york // s tamford school

ST PETER’S SCHOOL, YORK Clifton York YO30 6AB Established 627 Number of pupils 1,100 across the three schools of St Peter’s 3-18 Notable fixtures More than 300 A and B team fixtures between U9–U19. Durham, Sedbergh, Ampleforth, Worskop, Yorkshire Gents and MCC. Two fixtures dating back to 1853 v Pocklington, and 1856 against Leeds Grammar.

Festivals with Repton, Epsom and Warwick at 1st XI. Cheltenham, Trent and Norwich at U15 Head of cricket Gareth Sharp Cricket professional David Foster Teams 21 – U9–U11 ABC, U12– U15 AB, 1sts, 2nds, 3rds and Development XI Girls’ cricket Girls’ cricket is played in PE lessons, and as a girls club at St Olave’s. No formal fixtures yet: 1–2 year plan to establish the game Facilities Two four-lane indoor sports halls, four bowling machines, four grounds senior, three turf squares and one astro square, eight-lane astro nets – same

surface as the indoor school at Lord’s; 12 grass nets, four mobile cages. ECB Level 3 and Level 2 coaches throughout the school Club/county affiliation York CC, Yorkshire CCC, Yorkshire Diamonds Brief history Founded in 627 AD, with Guy Fawkes among its alumni, St Peter’s School is an independent co-ed day and boarding school (aged 3–18) in the centre of the historic city of York. The first recorded game of cricket played at St Peter’s was in 1853 when the school XI played Pocklington. The 1st XI play their games in front of the main school under the eye of York Minster. The U14, U15s and the development XI play their games on grounds idyllically situated on the banks of the River Ouse Cricketers of note Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire & England), Frank Mitchell (Yorkshire, England & South Africa), Norman Yardley (Yorkshire & England), Brian Sellars, Steve Coverdale, David Kirby (a former master-in-charge, housemaster and teacher) Finest moment on the field The school produces cricketers for North Yorkshire and the Yorkshire in various age groups. In 2010 the U15s were North of England runnersup on ECB T20 finals day. In 2013

the 1st XI were champions of the north-east, and losing finalists in the North of England Final in the HMC National T20, and in 2017 lost in the North of England Final. U13 Oli Tomalin took 10 for 7 from 3.5 overs in the RNCF 2nd Cup match this year. Including a hat-trick and five wickets in six balls – all of the dismissals were clean bowled. St Olave’s have made the National Prep Schools JET Cup Finals day hosted by St Edwards, Oxford an honoured seven times; winning the trophy in 2011, beating Millfield in the final by 64 runs. They have also reached the U13 RNCF finals day seven times in eight years, winning

it in 2011. The U18s in 2013 made the HMC T20 North of England Finalists. U15 Lord’s Taverners North of England finalists 2010 Tours St Olave’s toured Sri Lanka in 2018, South Africa in 2013 and Kenya in 2010. Trips planned for St Peter’s at U15 & 1st XI Extras New cricket/sports pavilion from 2020 . The school has a partnership with Yorkshire Diamonds – they will be using St Peter’s as a training base during the KSL. St Olave’s U12 Super8s has gained interest across the country Cultural cricketers Harry Gration (BBC), Greg Wise (actor) • St Olave’s School: p108

Brief history Cricket was played in Stamford at least as early as 1771.

From 1833–71 the school went to a field off Barnack Road for cricket.

By 1885 they were playing cricket on their own ground, but the playing area was not large enough and the editor of The Stamfordian expressed the hope that the school “might acquire Mr Huckbody’s field

as well”. This field is part of what is now the main playing field Cricketers of note MJK Smith (Leics, Warks & England, captained England at cricket and had one cap for England at rugby), Shan Masood (Pakistan), Zak Chappell (Notts) Extras In the past few years a charity event has been held that has raised more than £75,000 for The Matt Hampson Foundation.

Players have included Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Flintoff Finest moment on the field 54 boys have just toured Sri Lanka.

In 2017 the U15s were Midlands Champions in ESCA One-Day Cup Best prospect Joey Evison (U16) represented Midlands U15s at the Bunbury Festival. He plays for Notts 2nd XI and has played for the school 1st XI since year 8 Cultural cricketers Simon Hodgkinson (England), Colin Dexter (Inspector Morse), Nick Anstee (former Lord Mayor of the City of London)

STAMFORD SCHOOL Southfields House St Paul’s Street Stamford PE9 2BQ Established 1532 Number of pupils 700 Notable fixtures 1st XI play 20 a year, including MCC, XL Club and usually a touring side from the southern hemisphere Professional Dean Headley (Middlesex, Kent & England) Master in charge Charlie Esson (Dorset and Somerset 2nd XI) Teams 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th XIs, U15, U14, U13ABC, U12ABCD Girls’ cricket At the girls’ school, Stamford High, and Stamford Junior. Its popularity is growing.

From time to time, high-performing girls are incorporated into the boys’ coaching programme and matches Facilities Indoor nets at two venues with four lanes each plus bowling

machines. Six lanes of artificial outdoor nets – with full run-ups – 40m long. Large main square with 15 strips – which is also used for practice sessions. Second square of six strips. Two astro strips. Two astro pitches at the junior school Club/county affiliation Links with Leicestershire, Notts, Northants, Lincolnshire and Huntingdonshire

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS STEWART’S MELVILLE COLLEGE Queensferry Rd Edinburgh EH4 3EZ Established 1832 Number of pupils 800 Notable fixtures 140 a year – most prominent is the visit of MCC Head of cricket Joss Beharrell Cricket professional Shaylen Pillay (overseas player/coach who played for South Africa Under-19s and now Highveld Lions) Teams 16 boys’ teams (1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12ABC, U11ABC, U10) Girls’ cricket Cricket was launched in 2017 at The Mary Erskine School, part of the ESMS family of schools.

U15 National Cup runners-up 2018, U12 National Cup winners. MES is home to Cricket Scotland National

S T EWAR T ’S MELVILLE COLLEGE // S T OWE SCHOOL

Cricket Academy Facilities Four-lane indoor nets, 18 outdoor nets, two bowling machines, three squares, one all-weather strip, one batting cage, six-lane indoor nets and indoor training facility at The Mary Erskine School Club/county affiliation Cricket Scotland, Stewart’s Melville Cricket Club (The School’s FP Club, who play in the Eastern Premier League), Eastern Knights U14 & U16 Regional teams Cricketers of note William Laidlaw (Scotland cricketer, 1912–1992) Best prospect Charlie Peet (Scotland U15s/17s) Extras There are views of Edinburgh Castle from all the school’s pitches.

Tours 1st XI – South Africa 2020, 2019 – U14 La Manga pre-season, 1st XI festival (Stewarts Melville College, Strathallan School,

Pocklington School, Hymers College). Sir Garfield Sobers visited the School in 2017. The school has a history of producing rugby internationals including Finlay Calder, Jim Calder and Doddie Weir Finest moment on the field Three

STOWE SCHOOL Ouse Valley Way Stowe Buckinghamshire MK18 5EH Established 1923 Number of pupils 450 boys, 350 girls Notable fixtures Harrow, Marlborough, Radley, Bedford, Oakham, MCC, Uppingham, Oundle, Rugby, Abingdon, MCS Oxford, Bradfield, Oratory, Bedford Modern, Bromsgrove Director of cricket James Knott (Surrey & Bedfordshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABCD Girls’ cricket There is a girls’ 1st XI, and the school are aiming to launch a 2nd XI next summer. They have a young U15 wicketkeeper/batsmen who is on the Northants EPP programme.

Talented female cricketers can play in the boys’ teams Facilities Four lanes of indoor nets, three BOLA bowling machines, one Merlyn, 11 lanes of turf nets, 10 lanes of astro nets, seven turf squares Club/county affiliation Northants, Bucks, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Bedfordshire and

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Middlesex Cricketers of note Ben Duckett (Northants & England), Liam Gough (Essex), Graeme White (Northants & Notts), Mark Nelson (Northants), Ben Howgego (Northants), Sean Morris (Hampshire), Rob White (Northants), Jason de la Pena (Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Surrey & Kent), Sam Black (Middlesex), Giles Cheadle (Sussex & Surrey) Finest moment on the field Beating Menlo Park in the final of the 2015 T20 festival. It was the last game of the season and Menlo had just been crowned T20 champions in South Africa.

An incredible bowling and fielding

display saw Stowe restrict them to 116 for 9 and they managed to knock them off four down.

It capped off a great season, where the 1st XI only lost one match. There was also a National T20 semi-final win against a Shrewsbury side that included James Taylor. Stowe needed 15 off the final over and got it with four off the last ball Best prospect Adam King, who is a wicketkeeper/batsman on the Northants Academy. He played for the Midlands Under-17s last summer and was selected for the MCC Schools match at Lord’s Plans for the future We have just spent £10,000 relaying the top 8 inches of our 1st XI square. We

1st XI boys represented Grange CC U15 in the 2017 ECB National Club Competition (runners-up). Two times HMC Scottish Schools’ T20 champions and runners-up twice.

Four players in the national agegroup teams for Scotland are going to be updating all of our astro nets prior to the summer of 2019. They plan to buy a TrueMan

by BOLA machine Extras The 1st XI and 2nd XI squares are in front and behind of what was once the palace of the Dukes of Buckingham – one of the most picturesque cricket settings in the world. Northants 2nd XI play an annual fixture and the school has also hosted a 1st XI Pro40, county youth fixtures and training camps. Hosted the Bunbury Festival in 2017 and have also hosted the full Bunbury side.

A comprehensive on and offseason programme that involves a lot of individual attention on technique, fitness, gameplans and the mental side of the game. The school has reached the semifinals of the National T20 twice as well as the regional finals of the U15 National T20 twice. The school will be taking the Under15A XI to La Manga in Spain for a pre-season trip in 2019

James Knott Director of cricket

SU T T ON VALENCE SCHOOL

SUTTON VALENCE SCHOOL North Street Sutton Valence Maidstone ME17 3HL Established 1576 Number of pupils 520 Notable fixtures MCC, The XL Club, Band of Brothers Director of cricket Vince Wells.

He started his career with Kent and then moved on to Leicestershire where he played a key role in their Championship triumphs of 1996 and 1998 Teams 1st XI, 2nd, XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13ABCD. They also had a game for the 13E team this season.

Depending on numbers, they have also fielded a 3rd XI in the past Girls’ cricket They have had a big push on girls’ cricket and there have been fixtures for the U12, U13, U14 and U15s Facilities Five grass squares, two of which are on the dedicated cricket ground. They are also looking to add two more squares to help cater for girl’s cricket. The main square, which has one of the best wickets in the county, is used mainly for the 1st XI and visiting sides and has 20 strips available for use. They have six outside artificial nets and one grass net. They are looking to add further grass nets in the near future.

They have five indoor nets with full run-ups, which is also a good size for fielding

Club/county affiliation Local clubs regularly use the indoor nets. Many of the pupils attend Kent CCC trials and also play for local district teams. The SVS ground is used by the county age-group sides and they hosted host a Kent Under-15s fixture and two U12 fixtures Brief history The first recorded match was in August 1840, when the school played Sir Edmund Filmer’s XI at nearby East Sutton Park, which coincided with the celebration of the re-opening of the School, following a major refurbishment. Early matches against Town Malling and similar club sides were arranged before other schools were organised and, in those days, masters often played alongside the boys. The

school has hosted tourists from all over the world and gone on tours to South Africa and West Indies Cricketers of note Douglas Carr (Kent and England), Mark Benson (Kent and England), AR Tanner (Middlesex), GR Hunt (Somerset), H B Simpson (Northants), Robbie Joseph (Kent and England Lions), Rob Ferley (Kent and Notts), Y Patel (ICC Conference with Tanzania), Orlando Peters (Leeward Islands), Hayden Walsh (Leeward Islands) Extras John Willes, an early proponent of round-arm bowling, lived in the village and is thought to have cast his influence on others, especially with regard to the Sutton Valence cricketers thecricketer.com | 63

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS TAUNTON SCHOOL Staplegrove Road Taunton Somerset TA2 6AD Established 1847 Number of pupils 530 Notable fixtures Millfield, King’s College, Sherborne; MCC Director of cricket Pete Sanderson.

Marcus Trescothick (head of cricket development) plus visiting pros Jack Leach (Somerset & England) and ex-pupil Tom Abell (Somst capt) Teams 4 senior XIs; two under-15 teams and two under-14 teams, so

TAUN T ON SCHOOL // T HE JUDD SCHOOL

eight in total for most weekends but have increased this to C teams as well, numbers playing cricket have increased. In prep school they 12 teams from U8 to U13 1st XI. Including prep school 20 teams Girls’ cricket 1st XI, U16, U15 both winter and summer teams. They also have girls’ cricket in prep school from year 5 upwards playing hard and softball matches Facilities 12 grass pitches; 12 artificial outdoors and 7 indoors with main indoor net system on an individual pull-out system. Nine pitches available for boys and girls across seniors, juniors and prepschool matches

Club/county affiliation Somerset and Somerset schools’ association Brief history Taunton School was founded in 1847 as a boys-only school for dissenters – those who were not members of the Church of England. In the 1870s, the school’s governors purchased a site at the northern end of Taunton, on Staplegrove Road where they built a gothic-influenced building.

This Grade II-listed building still dominates the school’s 90-acre campus today. In 1976 Taunton School completed its merger with Weirfield School. In 1990 Taunton Junior School and Weirfield were renamed Taunton Junior Boys’ School and Taunton Junior Girls’ School, respectively Cricketers of note Abell (Somst), Jodie Dibble (England, Western Storm, Somst, Devon & Berkshire), Aftab Habib (England, Essex, Leics & Middx), Ricky Bartlett (Somst), Nicholas Pringle (Somst), Piran Holloway (Somst & Warks), John Jameson (England & Warks), Thomas Jameson (Warks), John Cameron (West Indies), Alan Gibson (Oxford Uni), Alan Marshall (Somst) and Jack ‘Farmer’ White (Somst & England, Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1929)

Best prospect Cameron Harding and Oscar Samuel (Somst U-17s) Extras Link with Somerset CCC, partly due to Sanderson, who spent 23 years working at Somerset at all levels up from the playground to 10 seasons with the professional teams as well Trescothick, Jos Buttler, James Hildreth and Abell. The grounds are used for 2nd XI cricket, county women’s teams, Somerset and Cornwall youth teams, both boys and girls. The ECB/Somerset academy use the main ground and nets as a summer practice facility.

Also the school is hosting ‘Chance to compete’ regional girls finals and regional super fours tournament for girls. Regional training centre for Western Storm as sponsors of the team Finest moment on the field The highest score on The Front was

by Leslie Marshall – 213 in July 1926; Sachin Tendulkar scored an unbeaten hundred including hitting a ball on the railway track, and Abell set a school record for hundreds on The Front in 2012 Cultural cricketers Geoffrey Cox (Conservative MP), Alan Gibson (cricket writer) and Jeremy Wright (attorney general) Taunton Prep School: p109

preparation for the new season and runs senior cricket tours biannually Club/county affiliation Kent Cricketers of note David Fulton and Julian Thompson (Kent) Best prospects Sam Ward and

Angus Hall Extras The Judd School (often known simply as Judd) is a grammar school in Tonbridge, Kent. It was established in 1888 at Stafford House on East Street in Tonbridge, where it remained for eight years before moving to its present location on Brook Street. Founded by the Skinners Company, it was named after 16th-century merchant Sir Andrew Judde, whose endowment helped fund the school. Throughout its history, cricket has been the major summer sport with academies run in the winter for the year 8 to 13 teams. In February the school took three teams on a tour of Barbados, playing a total of 11 matches. The 1st XI only lost once with the 2nd and 3rd XIs also putting in creditable performances Finest moment on the field Semi-finalists of the 2010 U13 ESCA Cultural cricketers Nobel Prize winner Cecil Powell and former First Sea Lord, Lord Terence Lewin

THE JUDD SCHOOL Brook Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 2PN Established 1888 Number of pupils 1,200 Notable fixtures MCC, Eltham College, Reigate Grammar, Sevenoaks School, Sutton Valence, King’s Canterbury, Caterham College Teams 14, ranging from 1st XI to U12 Head coach Ralph Richardson Girls’ cricket Girls in sixth form can play in senior sides Facilities School Site: grass square (with artificial strip), eight-lane artificial nets, four-lane indoor nets.

Vizards playing fields: two grass squares with artificial strip, one artificial strip and five-lane artificial nets Cricket history Judd is a state grammar school that continues to run a full Saturday fixture 64 | thecricketer.com

programme for all teams from Year 7 to sixth form. Judd regularly appears in the final stages of the county competitions in all age groups. Judd runs winter academy sessions for up to 90 students in

T HE K ING’S SCHOOL, CAN T ERBURY // T HE K ING’S SCHOOL IN MACCLESFIELD

THE KING’S SCHOOL, CANTERBURY 25 The Precincts Canterbury Kent CT1 2ES Established 597 Notable fixtures MCC, Band of Brothers, Eastbourne, Reed’s, Felsted, Sutton Valence, Whitgift Cricket professional Mark Ealham Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, U15AB, U14AB Girls’ cricket Introduced in 2016 by Susie Rowe, ex-England Women Facilities Three grass wickets, two astro wickets, 14 grass nets, four astro nets, two indoor nets

THE KING’S SCHOOL IN MACCLESFIELD Cumberland Street Macclesfield Cheshire SK10 1DA Established 1502 Number of pupils 875 Notable fixtures 22 games for 1st XI with extra games in cups.

MCC, Sedbergh, Leeds Grammar, Bolton Grammar, RGS Lancaster, Manchester Grammar Cricket professional AJ Harris (Notts, Derbyshire) Director of cricket Stephen Moores Teams 10 boys’ teams – 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15A, U15B, U14A, U14B, U13A, U13B, U12A, U12B Girls’ cricket The school holds an annual cricket ‘away day’ for all year 5 boys and girls. They enter the Lady Taverners competition each year – at U13 and U15 age groups. Recent leaver Hannah Gradwell played for the 1st XI for two seasons as well as Cheshire Women

Club/county affiliation Kent Cricketers of note Geoffrey Austin, Henry Barber, Henry Biron, Alfred Gillow, Edward Swann (all Kent), Cecil Bodington, William Maundrell and Cecil Paris (all Hampshire), Edward Collings and Wilfred Kempe (Somerset), Paul Dixey (Kent & Leicestershire), David Gower (Leicestershire, Hants & England), Claude Haines (Glamorgan), John Hellard (Somerset), Richard Juckes (Sussex), Robert Minns (Oxford University & Kent), John Phillips and Ian Potter (both Oxford Uni & Kent), Graham Pritchard (Cambridge Uni & Essex), Alfred Richardson (Cambridge Uni, Somerset & Gloucestershire), Facilities The school have five new all-weather nets at the boys’ site and three at the junior/ girls site. They have four cricket squares that are entirely grass and three that are artificial. The school have a Notts Sport PICS mat for use on the new astroturf pitch. The school use the local leisure centre for indoor nets during the winter months.

The school has two BOLA professional Machines and two BOLA junior machines Club/county affiliation Cheshire CCC, Macclesfield CC. The latter use the school nets and ground for festival and occasional midweek games. Four former pupils have played in recent seasons for Cheshire in the Minor Counties Championship/T20 and one for Staffordshire. In 2015 three former captains all made their debuts for Cheshire in the Minor Counties Championship and one in the T20. Another former captain, Johny Marsden, captained Oxford University for the 2016 season Brief history The recent celebration of 150 years of cricket

David Gower was a pupil at The King’s School, Canterbury

Jethro Robinson (Cambridge University & Sussex), Oliver Robinson (Sussex), Charles Rowe (Kent & Glamorgan), Philip Sankey

on the current site unearthed a photo of the team in 1865. The school started a cricket festival in 1974 with Brighton College, Solihull and Birkenhead – the line-up has changed over the years but the festival is still going strong. The School reached the NW regional final in the National Schools Under-17 competition this year, losing a close game to Sedbergh. The school also reached the NW Regional final of the Under-18 National T20, losing to Sedbergh (again) in the final Cricketers of note Mike Davies (Northants), Peter Moores (Worcestershire & Sussex), Alex Thomson (Warwickshire) Finest moment on the field In the 2011 festival the school 1st XI scored 853 runs, conceding just 144. King’s scored four

(Cambridge Uni, Oxford & Kent) Extras Kent 2nd XI play a two-day and one-day game in the summer at the Birley’s playing fields

centuries in the three games, with Ben Marsden and Tom Foreman scoring one each and Andrew Hodgson two. They bowled Magdalen College School Oxford out for 14, with Jonny Marsden taking 6 for 7 and Tom Foreman 4 for 6 Extras The school is planning a move to a new site in 2020. The site is adjacent to the current playing fields site and will retain the three grass squares. A new 1st XI cricket field is planned at the new school together with two new junior school squares. The plans include provision for new outdoor nets, a sportshall with cricket facilities as well as a specific threelane indoor cricket centre

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS THE LEYS SCHOOL Fen Causeway Cambridge Cambridgeshire CB2 7AD Established 1875 Notable fixtures MCC, Cambridge University Crusaders,

THE MANCHESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL Old Hall Lane Manchester M13 0XT Established 1515 Notable fixtures Shrewsbury, Sedbergh, Leeds Grammar, MCC Director of cricket Mike Watkinson (Lancashire & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12AB, U11AB, U10AB Facilities New indoor facility with four cricket nets, three grass squares (first team, intermediate and junior school), six grass practice pitches and four outdoor artificial practice nets. Artificial match pitch. Extensive covering for all outdoor pitches Club/county affiliation Lancashire Brief history Boys are provided with many chances to represent the school. Academic staff and specialist coaches have helped develop the skills of sportsmen since the school moved out from the cramped city centre to a new site in Fallowfield, surrounded by pitches, during the 1930s. However, even before the move south of the city, former pupil Herbert Toft went 66 | thecricketer.com

T HE LE YS SCHOOL // T HE MANCHES T ER GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Gentlemen of Cambridge, Norwich, Wellingborough, Felsted, Haileybury Cricket professional Richard Kaufman (Oxfordshire) Teams 12 Girls’ cricket Yes – reached the final of the Cambridgeshire Lady Taverners Indoor Competition for U15s. Entered the U15 Hardball

on to play rugby union for England, and Robert Crawshaw and Douglas Lowe had won Olympic gold medals in water polo and athletics respectively. More recently, Mike Atherton represented England in 115 Test matches and 54 ODIs Cricketers of note Atherton (Lancashire & England), John Crawley (Lancashire, Hampshire & England), David Green (Lancashire & Gloucestershire), Mark Crawley (Lancashire & Nottinghamshire), Gary Yates (Lancashire), Mark Chilton (Lancashire), Scott Richardson (Yorkshire & Leicestershire), Lee Marland (Lancashire) Extras Manchester Grammar was founded to provide an education of the highest quality for those who qualified by virtue of their intelligence, regardless of parental background. The school proudly remains true to this objective in modern times and has raised more than £25m to ensure that more than 200 pupils receive means-tested bursaries.

Atherton and Chilton are both patrons of the fundraising, which aims to raise an endowment of over £100m Finest moment on the field Seven pupils went on to achieve national representative honours in 2014

cup in 2018. Cricket is replacing rounders from 2019 Facilities Purpose-built two-lane indoor school, two bowling machines, video-analysis equipment, two grass cages, five artificial lanes, four grass squares.

Planning approved for additional six outdoor artificial lanes Club/county affiliation The best players move onto the Northants Academy. Many players play for Cambridgeshire or Hertfordshire.

Hosted Unicorns Minor Counties Trophy one-day game – Cambridgeshire v Cumberland in 2017 Brief history The Leys was established in February 1875 and in its second term cricket was introduced. Before the Great War, the school produced several firstclass cricketers, including Gordon Bevas for Nottinghamshire, William Brown for Gloucestershire and Thomas Hill for Somerset.

The school’s most distinguished cricketer in that era, though, was Bernard Holloway, who played for Sussex and was a member of the MCC touring party in the first tour to the West Indies Cricketers of note Justin Benson (Leicestershire) Extras Hosted Unicorns (Minor County) Knockout Trophy oneday game (Cambridgeshire v Cumberland in 2017).

Finest moment on the field The 1st XI reached the last eight of the HMC T20 competition in 2017.

Earlier that year they toured Sri Lanka. The U15s also reached the last 16 of the ESCA competition

Richard Kaufman Cricket professional

T HE ORAT ORY SCHOOL // T HE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, GUILDFORD

THE ORATORY SCHOOL Woodcote Reading Berkshire RG8 0PJ Established 1859 Notable fixtures Eton, Bradfield, Reed’s, St Edward’s Oxford Cricket professional Dan Housego (Middlesex & Glos CCC) Teams 12 Facilities Seven squares, 12 nets, four indoor lanes Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire Brief history In 1859 The Oratory was founded at Edgbaston. Then 14 years later a ground was acquired at Ravenhurst under the headship of John Norris. The captain of school and a prominent OS cricketer – an opening bowler – in the late 1880s was John Pius Boland who won two gold medals at the Athens Olympics in 1896 for tennis. The headmaster from 1921–1934 was Fr Edward Pereira (OS 1876–85), a county cricketer for Warwickshire who is believed to be the only Catholic priest to play first-class cricket. His school record for throwing the cricket ball (115 yards, 1 foot, 9 inches) still holds good.

In 1896, he gave family money to expand the Ravenshurst Grounds

and in 1900 to build a new pavilion.

This new pavilion was burned down by Suffragettes in 1914. This was in retaliation for an incident when a boy sprinkled ink on some Suffragettes meeting outside the school. The fire destroyed many early cricket records and photos.

The Oratory took part in an annual match at Lord’s against Beaumont from 1926 to 1968 – this was the only Lord’s fixture between Catholic public schools. When Beaumont was closed down in 1966, the fixture was taken up by Downside against whom the OS had a famous victory in 1967. The 1968 match was a draw and proved to be the final Lord’s match for the school, as the authorities discontinued school fixtures at the ground. In the late 1930s when the school was very small, a team was still fielded. EW Swanton said that he had “always had a soft spot for The Oratory since my old friend DCF Burton coached them to four successive victories in the late 1930s despite the place being almost devoid of boys. It seemed an annual miracle.”

Swanton was the president of the OSCC from 1996–2000. From 2000–2003 it was Sir John Paul Getty and he was succeeded

by MJK Smith of England and Warwickshire and currently Old Oratorian Keith Hornby is

president. The 1st XI cricket field, behind the school, was excavated and laid out in 1946–47 “as a tribute to those Old Oratorians who served in the Second World War and in memory of those who gave their

lives”. The pavilion was built in 1958.

Cricketers of note Steve Tomlinson (Glamorgan), Benny Howell (Hants & Gloucs), Daniel Housego (Middlesex & Gloucs), Michael Roberts (Hants)

CCC and Guildford CC Brief history In 2013 both the 1st XI and 2nd XI won their respective leagues. The annual Royal Grammar School Cricket Festival

is held on a rotational basis at all the Royal Grammar Schools in the country. Guildford have won this seven times in the last 13 years. In 2017, the 1st XI toured Sri Lanka and will be heading back in April 2019 Cricketers of note Bob Willis (Surrey, Warwickshire and England) Finest moment on the cricket field 50/40 League winners 2014 and 2015 Best prospect Abhay Gonella (Hampshire CCC) Extras The eminent cricket historian and writer David Frith, a former editor of The Cricketer, believes that cricket may have been played in Guildford in 1550, before even Hambledon Cultural cricketers Simon Bird (actor), Jack Clifford (rugby player) and Martin Tyler (football commentator)

THE ROYAL GRAMMAR SCHOOL, GUILDFORD High St Guildford GU1 3BB Established 1509 Number of pupils 952 Notable fixtures Royal Grammar School, Guildford play 10 block fixtures a year against teams such as Cranleigh, Whitgift, St Paul’s, Dulwich College and Hurstpierpoint College. They also host MCC in an annual fixture Cricket professional Michael Barnes (Warwickshire CCC) Teams 16 teams across all age groups: 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15 A-C, U14 A-C, U13 A-C, U12 A-D Facilities A newly refurbished pavilion, 12 artificial outdoor nets, five indoor nets and a wheel-on cage for grass practice sessions.

Bradstone Brook is an excellent setting for cricket during the summer. Matches are also played at Wonersh Cricket Club County/club affiliation Surrey

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS THE ROYAL HOSPITAL SCHOOL Holbrook Ipswich Suffolk IP9 2RX Established 1712 in Greenwich.

In 1933, moved to its current 200acre site in the Suffolk countryside overlooking the River Stour Number of pupils 750 Notable fixtures About 125 interschool fixtures each year for girls and boys including 1st XI v MCC, Girls U15 County Cup Final and the East Anglian Independent Schools T20 Tournament, plus Minor Counties Festivals U11 and U12 Cricket professional Graham Napier (Essex)

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL High Street Tonbridge Kent TN9 1JP Established 1553 Number of pupils 791 Notable fixtures 29 1st XI in 2018, 180 across 17 teams. Cowdrey Cup (Eton, Harrow, Wellington, Radley, Charterhouse). Annual cricket festival with Millfield Cricket professionals Ian Baldock and Richie Oliver (Worcestershire) Master in charge Paddy Sadler Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI, 7th XI, U16AB, U15ABCD, U14ABCDE Facilities Seven grass squares, two astro wickets, 15 grass nets, 10 artificial nets, five indoor nets Club/county affiliation Kent, Surrey and Essex, Tunbridge 68 | thecricketer.com

T HE ROYAL HOSPI TAL SCHOOL // T ONBRIDGE SCHOOL

Teams 20 teams – boys 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15 ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12ABC Girls’ cricket 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14, U13. Now into its third year and have teams playing at all age groups including some B-team fixtures. The girls’ U15s made the county U15 cup final Facilities 8 grounds (5 grass squares, 3 artificial) two pavilions, six grass nets, four indoor nets, strength and conditioning gym, fitness suite, indoor pool and the first school in the world to invest in a Bola TruMan bowling machin Club/county affiliation Essex CCC and Suffolk CCC Brief history Cricket has grown in reputation under the expert mentoring of Don Topley, formerly Essex CC, for 23 years. He handed over the reins to former Essex

allrounder and T20 master blaster Graham Napier in September 2016 and he established the Graham Napier Cricket Academy Cricketers of note Don Topley (Essex) and Reece Topley (Essex, Hampshire & England) Best prospect Following the family footsteps, grandson of cricketing legend Colin Cowdrey and son of Graham Cowdrey, Michael Cowdrey captained the school 1st XI in 2017 and enjoyed a season with Melbourne Cricket Club Extras Reece Topley had played for Essex since the age of nine, and made his England debut in a T20I against Australia in 2015. He hopes to bounce back from a bad run of injuries. Jack Russell has painted a match at the RHS this season Finest moment on the field U15 tour to Sri Lanka in 2009 to visit

partner schools. The tsunami of 2004 killed more than 40,000. This spurred the school to do something meaningful to help by supporting a school building project in the tsunami-ravaged region. Links were made with St Mary’s Convent for girls and St Servatius College for boys, both in southern Sri Lanka. These links extended beyond a simple short-term fundraising initiative to a long-term relationship and in the summer of 2006, 120 pupils and staff went on a Band and Cultural tour to Sri Lanka. There was another in 2009 Cultural cricketers In 1997 Griff Rhys Jones captained a team of celebrities, including Samantha Janus, Richard E Grant, Clive Anderson and Hugh Laurie, in aid of the St Elizabeth Hospice. A crowd of 4,500 saw them face the 1st XI

Wells CC, Sevenoaks Vine CC, Holmesdale CC. Annual dinner with guests from Tunbridge Wells CC, Sevenoaks Vine CC, Holmesdale CC, Linden Park CC, Tonbridge CC, Southborough CC and Cowdrey CC Cricketers of note 67 first-class cricketers, 49 county, seven England players (JC Hartley, KL Hutchings, MC Cowdrey, RM Prideaux, CS

Cowdrey, RM Ellison and Ed Smith – now national selector). Current player: Zak Crawley (Kent) Extras Offers performance cricket at the top end, and mass participation at the bottom, and lack of sixth-form entrants allows boys to follow a pathway through age groups into the 1st XI. The school has won the old boys’ cricket

tournament more than twice as many times as any other school.

The 1st XI ground, The Head, is renowned nationally. The annual fixture against Clifton at Lord’s between 1914–1967 was proudly reinstated in 2014 as part of the Lord’s bicentenary celebrations.

A 15-man squad toured Sri Lanka in March/April Finest moment on the field Won the under-14 Kent Cup 11 out of the last 12 seasons. They are the only side to win The Cricketer Cup three years in a row (2002–04). 1st XI won Cowdrey Cup this year for the first time since 1979 and the under15s won the ESCA Cup this year Best prospect Sam Hadfield (Kent CCC) Cultural cricketers Tim Rice-Oxley of Keane was in the 1994 1st XI. Sir Herbert Baker, Commonwealth War Graves architect, captained the 1st XI in 1880 and 1881

T REN T COLLEGE // T RINI T Y SCHOOL

TRENT COLLEGE Derby Road Long Eaton Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG10 4AD Established 1868 and two matches were recorded the next year Number of pupils 700 Notable fixtures About 130. MCC, plus Trent College play on a strong circuit in the Midlands which also includes Repton, Oakham, Uppingham, Rugby, Derbyshire U17s Professional Paul Johnson (Notts) Head of cricket Scott Boswell (Northants & Leicestershire) Teams Year 5 to year 13–24 teams including 4 girls’ sides Girls’ cricket At U13, U15, U18 level Facilities Five grass wickets, four indoor lanes, 11 grass nets, four grounds plus junior Club/county affiliation Links with

Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire Best prospects Daniel Blatherwick and Archie Moore Brief history Trent had a top side by 1872, although it included five teachers. The star was Holyoake who took 68 wickets for 276 runs Cricketers of note Russell Cobb (Leics), Noël Gie (Notts), Ben Spendlove (Derbyshire), Akhil Patel (Notts & Derbyshire) Shane Julien. Simon Webster, Michael Tilcock, Connor Marshall and Tim Wyatt on Notts’ books Extras Notts and Derbyshire 2nd XIs play at Trent College. Primary school initiative sees the college coaching in 12 state primary schools in the area, with plans for 16 next year. The school provides coaching courses for the sixth form and staff as well as umpiring and scoring courses. U15 tour to Dubai in 2019, U18 to La Manga in 2020, U13 to Ireland in 2020

TRINITY SCHOOL Shirley Park Croydon Surrey CR9 7AT Established 1596 Number of pupils 950 Notable fixtures Around 200.

Whitgift, King’s Canterbury, Epsom, Hampton, RGS Guildford, Ardingly, Eastbourne, King’s College School Wimbledon Director of cricket Sam Schofield Cricket professional Alistair Brown (Surrey, Notts & England) Teams 22 – 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 15ABC, 14ABC, 13ABCD, 12ABC, 11ABC Girls’ cricket Trinity has recently become a co-educational sixth form, with Kira Chathli becoming the first lady cricketer to represent the 1st XI. In last year’s MCC fixture, Chathli received the MCC Spirit of Cricket award.

A lower-sixth girl played in the 1st XI this summer and a softball team is planned for next year Facilities Two grounds, three grass squares, one astro wicket, four outdoor astro nets, five indoor lanes Club/county affiliation Surrey

CC, Kent CCC, Old Trinity Mid Whitgiftians Brief history The first recorded match involving Trinity School (then Whitgift Middle School) was in 1905 against Colfe’s. The school moved to their current ground in 1966. In 1987, Mark Butcher scored 152 runs and took 9 for 17, including a hat-trick, against Alleyn’s. He averaged 152 with the bat that year. Trinity dominated school cricket in the area throughout the 1990s, with Richard Nowell scoring 4,250 runs and taking 232 wickets and Dave Dyer securing 2,464 runs and 124 wickets. The 1st XI recorded six undefeated seasons within

this period. This year the 1st XI reached the London and South East T20 Final and all age groups are in the county finals.

Cricketers of note Mark Butcher (Surrey & England), Gary Butcher (Glamorgan & Surrey), Scott Newman (Surrey, Middlesex & Kent), Nowell (Surrey) Best prospect Nathan Barnwell is an U15 player for Surrey CCC. He made his debut for the Surrey CCC 2nd XI and has been selected for this year’s London & East squad for the Bunbury Festival Extras Trinity’s cricket programme is of the highest quality. Two county coaches are on the staff who are Level 3s. The

Trinity Cricket Academy has been set up with the aim of targeting the three to four talented cricketers in each age group, working with students to develop their cricketing skills in a range of disciplines. Trinity also offers sports scholarship for talented cricketers. A tour is planned for Sri Lanka next year Finest moment on the field In 1995, Newman and Shehan de Silva put on three doublehundred partnerships (200 against the MCC, 239 against RGS Guildford and 289 against Hampton), which is still a school record. The fun and development the boys show week in, week out

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS UPPINGHAM SCHOOL High Street West Uppingham Oakham Rutland LE15 Established 1584 Notable fixtures MCC, Repton, Haileybury, Shrewsbury, Rugby, Oundle Cricket professional Trevor Ward (Kent & Leicestershire) Director of cricket Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U16, U15ABC, U14ABCD Girls’ cricket Both a senior and junior girls’ team. More anticipated as the popularity for the sport continues to grow Facilities Two grounds. The Upper is the major ground which has a dedicated grass net block with 10 strips. The Middle is home to a further six squares and 10 grass nets. Five indoor net lanes in the Sports Hall Club/county affiliation Leicestershire CCC – their academy and U17 teams use. The Upper as their home ground during

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UPPINGHAM SCHOOL

the summer holidays Brief history The first recorded mention of cricket at Uppingham School came with the lease of The Upper in 1827. The success of the school and of its cricket grew immeasurably under the pioneering headmaster, Edward Thring (1853–1887). In the following years cricket blossomed and the appointment of the first resident full-time cricket professional was perhaps just as important as the growth and the transformation of the school under Thring. Funded by C E Green (OU), the appointment of HH Stephenson, who had been captain of the first English cricket team to tour Australia in 1861-62, proved a turning point for the game at Uppingham Cricketers of note The greatest of Uppingham’s cricketers was Percy Chapman. Having come to Uppingham from Oakham, he was selected as one of Wisden’s Five Public School Cricketers of the year in 1919. He went on to play for Cambridge University, Kent and England (26 Tests, 17 as captain between 1926 and 1931).

A famous picture of 1930 shows

him tossing up with Bill Woodfull, the Australian captain, wearing a Rovers blazer. He scored 925 Test runs (one century and five fifties).

James Whitaker and Jonathan Agnew did not enjoy extended runs in the national team, but both had fine careers for Leicestershire and remain active in the game. James has managed A team tours and was, until this summer, a selector for 10 years, while ‘Aggers’ is the BBC’s cricket correspondent. Harry

Judd is perhaps our most recent well-known cricketer. Passionate about his cricket, he played for the school before leaving to become part of McFly Extras With the appointment of Chris Read and the planned investment in facilities, cricket at Uppingham has exciting times ahead. The Upper is one of the finest grounds in the country.

Several of their fixtures are more than 100 years old

WARWICK SCHOOL // WAT FORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL

a leading independent day and boarding school for boys aged 7-18, dating back to 914, making it one of the oldest boys’ schools. Set in 50 acres, it has a great extra-curricular programme with extensive sporting facilities, with national success achieved in different sports alongside academic successes

Cricketers of note Neil Smith (England & Warwickshire), Geoff Tedstone (Warks & Gloucs), Gordon Lord (Worcs), Gary Montgomery (Lancs), Charlie Mulraine and Huw Jones (both Warks) Best prospect Robert Yates (Year 12), who scored his first century for

Warwickshire 2nd XI in May 2017 Extras The school has a stunning modern pavilion. They continue to challenge top cricket schools regionally without sports scholars.

Recently toured Sri Lanka (biannual trip) with 30 boys from U15 and U14 squads Finest moment on the field 2017 – U15 National T20 finalists; 2016 - U15 team were T20 national finalists without a single representative player in the team, beating Bolton, Trent, Shrewsbury along the way. 2015 – U15 Midlands ESCA finalists & Midlands T20 semi-finalists; 2013 – U13 national finalists in Bunbury Cup. This same year group (now in their final year) then reached U15 Midlands final (50-over) and Midlands’ semifinals in national T20 Cultural cricketers Dan Dalton MEP (at the school 1987–92); High Court judge The Hon Sir David Foskett, (1956–67); Chris Guyver, MCC committee (WS 1969–80)

cricket Andy Needham (Surrey/ Middlesex) Director of sport Luke Samarasinghe Teams 15 - 1st XI, 2nd xI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13 ABC, U12 ABC Facilities Three grass squares, with two additional artificial strips, spread over two sites. Fully enclosed six-lane outdoor nets and four indoor nets Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire, West Herts CC,

Bushey CC, Langleybury CC Brief history The School has been playing cricket on its current Rickmansworth Road site for more than 100 years Cricketers of note Richard Hughes (Worcestershire), Andrew Needham (Surrey, Middlesex) William Jones (Middlesex) Extras As a comprehensive school they offer an unrivalled amount of cricket, with exceptional facilities.

Their fixture card includes the top independent schools of the

North London area, including Harrow School, Merchant Taylors’, Haberdashers’ Aske’s, St Albans, St George’s Weybridge and Berkhamsted. Tours to Barbados (2017, 2015, 2010) and Sri Lanka (2012 and propose 2019) Finest moment on the field Reaching the last eight of the National U13 Cup in 2014/15 Cultural cricketers Alex Lozowski (Saracens, England rugby), Josh Lewsey (Wasps, England, British & Irish Lions rugby)

WARWICK SCHOOL Myton Road Warwick Warwickshire CV34 6PP Established 914 Number of pupils 1,240 Notable fixtures MCC, Rugby, St Peter’s Festival. 140 across all teams Cricket professional/director of cricket Simon Francis (Hampshire, Somerset, Nottinghamshire England A) Director of sport Geoff Tedstone (Warwickshire & Gloucestershire) Teams 18 - 1st-3rd XI, U17 XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABCD, U12ABCD Facilities All on one site: three grass squares, two artificial wickets, three artificial nets, two mobile cages, four indoor lanes Club/county affiliation Warwickshire CCC Brief history Warwick School is

WATFORD GRAMMAR SCHOOL Rickmansworth Rd Watford WD18 7JL Established 1704 Number of pupils 1,300 Notable fixtures 100 a year. MCC most prestigious Cricket professional/director of

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WELLINGBOROUGH SCHOOL London Road Wellingborough Northamptonshire NN8 2BX Established 1595 Number of pupils 440 Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club, Stowe, The Leys. In the senior school (Years 9–13) in 2018 there were 68 fixtures calendared at the start of term across six boys’ teams and one girls’. Including a two-day T20 festival at the end of term, in 2017 the 1st XI played 23 fixtures.

The most notable fixtures in 2018 included Stowe and Merchant Taylors’, Northwood Cricket master George Houghton Cricket professional Luke Sharples (ECB Level 3, studying for Level 4) Teams U14 through to 1st XI Girls’ cricket Rounders was abolished at the prep school in 2017 and cricket is their main summer sport. In the senior school tennis remains the major sport for girls but they entered the National U15 girls’ T20 for the first time in 2018, reaching the second round, and in addition to this they have scheduled 3-4 additional fixtures for the U15 girls. The hope is that in the next year or two they will have a full girls cricket programme across the whole senior school age range Facilities Two indoor nets, seven brand-new artificial nets, four main squares and two additional artificial. There is also extra playing field space for up to five more temporary pitches to cater for

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WELLINGBOROUGH SCHOOL // WELLING T ON COLLEGE

junior girls’ ‘Kwik Cricket’.

Club/county affiliation Northants Brief history Cricket at Wellingborough has a proud and strong tradition with our teams regularly competing, and winning against schools with more than double the number of pupils. In June 1937, Wellingborough were the first opposition for the XL Club, who continue to go in to play schools across the country. The Grove is a picturesque ground which boasts one of the few remaining thatched pavilions in school cricket and the ground is most famous for witnessing Sir Ian Botham’s knock of 175 not out in 1986 for Somerset v Northants, when first-class cricket was still played at the school Cricketers of note Charlie Macdonell (Derbyshire), although a number of recent leavers are at MCCUs around the country, hoping to gain professional contracts Best prospect James Sales (son of David, the school’s former cricket pro), who is opening for the 1st XI Extras Len Hutton scored 269 not out for Yorkshire against Northants at the school in 1949.

First-class cricket used to be played there until the 1990s, and Wellingborough still hosts 2nd XI and age-group county cricket. At the foot of the steps to the pavilion is the doorstep from WG Grace’s Bristol home Finest moment on the field The unbeaten season of 2013, as well as George Groenland, who left in 2016, being named in Wisden 2017 as the batsman with the highest batting average in the country (13 innings, 763 runs at 127.16)

WELLINGTON COLLEGE Duke’s Ride Crowthorne Berkshire RG45 7PU Established 1859 Number of pupils 1,100 Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow, Tonbridge, Radley and Charterhouse in The Cowdrey Cup. The BOWS Festival with Brighton, Oakham and Sedbergh. A two-day fixture with Malvern. South Africa tour every two years Cricket professional Dan Pratt Teams Seniors 4. Colts (U16s) 2/3. J Colts (U15s) 4. Yearlings (U14s) 5 Girls’ cricket They have a group of 20 girls and have played around 10 fixtures this year.

Their strategy is to have an U14, U15 and 1st XI in the coming years. They run a girls’ festival.

The girls’ cricket programme is thriving in their younger years and will hopefully provide the platform for future years. A number of girls also play in boys’ teams too. Lissy Macleod is a recent leaver and she was involved with Berkshire, England Development Programmes and Southern Vipers in the 2016 Kia Super League Facilities Nine grounds, 15 grass nets, 14 artificial nets, five indoor nets and a new purposebuilt indoor school is due for

completion by March Club/county affiliation A growing and developing connection with Middlesex, as well as Hampshire, Surrey and Berkshire History Cricket has been the summer boys’ sport since 1874, and is growing as a girls’ option.

Cricket at Wellington earned its name from 1880, largely due to the efforts and talent of Prince Christian Victor, after whom the college bowling prize is awarded Cricketers of note Tom Curran, Sam Curran (Surrey & England), Ben Curran (Northants), Tim Hodgson (Essex), Ed Young (Surrey & Gloucs) Best prospect Jack Davies (Middlesex) Extras There was a wooden pavilion from 1861–1901 before being demolished due to damage caused by rats. The new pavilion, refurbished and painted pink, opened in 1994. A handful of Wellingtonians have played Test cricket but none since 1930, when Maurice Allom took four wickets in five balls in the first Test played by New Zealand, and when FT Badcock, another Old Wellingtonian, bagged a king pair on debut. The college tours South Africa every two years Finest moment on the field National T20 finals day 2015 Cultural cricketers Will Young, Christopher Lee and Rory Bremner attended the school

Home to one of the country’s most beautiful cricket fields

Sports Scholarships Available Cambridge’s only co-educational boarding and day school. Check our website for application dates for Y9 and Y12 entry.

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Sports scholarships available at 13+

WINCHESTERCOLLEGE.ORG SPORTSAWARDS@WINCOLL.AC.UK

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Sport is everywhere at Winchester; it’s integral to the school’s landscape. We are proud to provide a uniquely spectacular setting for our pupils.

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Master in C

“This school has everything going for it” The Good Schools Guide 2017

www.worthschool.org.uk

TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS WELLINGTON SCHOOL South Street Wellington Somerset TA21 8NT Established 1837 Number of pupils 840 Notable fixtures 135 fixtures.

This season’s most notable was against England Women. Also Blundell’s, Queen’s Taunton, Plymouth, Exeter University 2nd XI, Somerset U17s, Wales U15s, Cornwall U17s Cricket professionals Steffan Jones, Paul ‘Sid’ Lawrence and Caroline Foster (née Atkins), former England women’s batsman Teams Wellington School run nine boys’ cricket teams and two girls’ teams – 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15 A, U15 Development squad, U14 A, U13 A, U13 Development squad, U12 A. Girls’ cricket Three girls’ teams, 1st XI, U15 and U13. Girls are also

WHITGIFT SCHOOL Haling Park South Croydon Surrey CR2 6YT Established 1596 Number of pupils 1480 Notable fixtures MCC, Harrow, Wellington College, Cranleigh, Tonbridge. The school plays 320 matches a summer Cricket professionals Neil Kendrick, David Ward (both Surrey) and Paul Hindmarch (Durham) Teams 23 - 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15ABC, U14ABCDE; U13ABCDE,

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WELLING T ON SCHOOL // WHI T GIF T SCHOOL

encouraged to play in the boys’ fixtures. It is run by Atkins, who also coached Western Storm in the 2016 Kia Super League Facilities The school has four indoor lanes with excellent lighting and enough room for any fast bowler to fit in a full run-up.

They have 10 grass outdoor nets, and four all-grass pitches Club/county affiliation Somerset, Devon and Cornwall

U12ABCDE, U11AB Facilities Five pitches and six indoor lanes with 25m bowler run-up, 12 grass nets, five squares/ grounds on site, use of two off-site Club/county affiliation Surrey and Old Whitgiftians Brief history Whitgift has played cricket for more than 100 years but its growth really took off in the 1930s when the school moved to its current 45-acre location, giving more room for the sport to be played on-site. More than 350 boys regularly play cricket each week for the school. Since 1998, Whitgift has won 12 national cricket titles and over 50 county titles. Whitgift, a leading day and

Brief history Wellington is a small school that has made massive improvements over the last three years. The school has a fantastic cricket programme in place that is second to none, as a result the quality of cricketer across the board that is being produced at the school is improving year on year. This year there have been 16 players from the school being represented at county level

boarding independent school for boys aged 10–18, was founded in 1596 by John Whitgift, Queen Elizabeth I’s last Archbishop of Canterbury, and opened in 1600, making it Croydon’s oldest school.

The headmaster, Dr Christopher Barnett, is the 26th in the school’s history. Haling Park, to which the school moved in 1931, was at one time the home of Lord Howard of Effingham, Lord High Admiral of the Fleet sent against the Armada, and it retains the appearance of an attractive country estate. Whitgift’s state-of-the-art boarding house was opened in 2013, by the School’s patron, HRH The Duke of York.

The first recorded match held on the school ground occurred in 1898 when the school played University College School. Since 2000, the school has hosted several firstclass and List A Surrey matches.

Its maiden first-class match was when Surrey played against Nottinghamshire and, from 2003 to 2011, Whitgift hosted no fewer than nine first-class matches. It has also hosted 13 List A fixtures between 2000 and 2011. West Indies and India played an A Test match at Haling Park Cricketers of note Raman

Cricketers of note Two boys were linked with a county after the completion of the 2017 school year Best prospects Sixth-formers Cassie Coombes and Year 10 pupil Daisy Jeanes have both been selected for the Girls’ U17 Somerset squad Extras Apart from their fantastic cricket programme, they also hold Somerset Girls’ Winter District training programme and some of the Somerset Girls’ county age groups. An outstanding total of 16 Wellington senior-school pupils have been selected to represent their counties. They have specific fast-bowling camps that are run out of Wellington School that attract people from all around the world. They have a cricket programme that is second to none and as a result, attract people to the school from all around the world. The school are also proud of their wellbeing programme Subba Row (Surrey, Northants & England), Jason Roy (Surrey & England), Tom Lancefield, Freddie van den Bergh, Rory Burns, Ryan Patel (Surrey), Dominic Sibley (Surrey & Warwickshire), Matt Spriegel (Surrey & Northants), Laurie Evans (Surrey, Warks & Sussex) Extras 12 years of T20, 50-over and four-day festival cricket hosted here by Surrey. The school toured Australia and Desert Springs, Spain, in 2018 and will go to Barbados in 2019 Finest moment on the field Winning eight Under-13 ESCA National Titles in a 15-year period.

Dominic Sibley scoring 242 for Surrey at The Kia Oval v Yorkshire in 2011 when he was still a sixthformer. Jason Roy scoring 162 for the full England side in a ODI v Sri Lanka in 2016 and his continued success in England’s ODI side. The Australian ODI team practising at Whitgift in 2017 and 2018. Shane Warne taking 5 for 12 for Hampshire against Surrey on the ground in 2006 Prospects Nico Reifer, Jamie Smith, Nyeem Young Cultural cricketers England rugby star Danny Cipriani

wilson’s school // winches t er college

WILSON’S SCHOOL Mollison Drive Wallington Surrey SM6 9JW Established 1615 Number of pupils 1,170 Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift, Epsom, Trinity, City of London Freemen’s, Caterham and King’s College Wimbledon. Across the various age groups there were 140 scheduled matches Cricket professional Chris Bullen (Surrey) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB, U12ABCD Facilities There are two indoor nets in the sports hall at school plus two indoor nets are used at the Change Foundation ground, five outdoor non-turf practice nets, one grass square plus one non-turf match pitch. The school also uses the two

WINCHESTER COLLEGE College Street Winchester Hampshire SO23 9NA Established 1382 Number of pupils 700 Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow, Radley, Bradfield, Charterhouse. The 1st XI had 22 fixtures this year, entering The National Schools Under-17 Cup for the first time, reaching a regional final. They also competed in the John Harvey Cup and the National T20. Across all teams there are 130 fixtures throughout the term Cricket professional Paul Gover Master in charge Giles Munn (Hampshire, MCC Schools’ U19) Teams 12 (4 senior, U16, 3 U15, 4 U14) Facilities An indoor sports hall is being redeveloped from 2019. The school will have a temporary facility in the interim and, on completion, a double sports hall, with one side that will be cricket specific. They have 11 artificial nets for general use, four grass squares plus three artificial strips and grounds. All main pitches have grass wicket practice strips and cages Club/county affiliation Hampshire

grass squares at Wallington Sports Ground just across the road from the school three times a season.

Club/county affiliation Surrey, with access to free tickets for 50-over and T20 matches Brief history Wilson’s run a strong Saturday and midweek fixture list with more than 150 matches throughout the season, with a notable 1st XI fixture against the MCC. Many boys have played representative cricket at junior age groups at district and county level and we have provided players for the prestigious Surrey Schools Cricket Association’s Hobbs Trophy U15 match at The Oval.

The school runs biennial tours, including to Dubai and Barbados.

A strong link is maintained with Old Wilsonians CC, who play in the Kent County League Cricketers of note Neil Kendrick (Surrey & Glamorgan) Best prospects U15 Pranav Madan

Extras Wilson’s provides exceptional cricket provision for state pupils in a private-school dominated area. Over the course of the season the split of these fixtures is close to 50 per cent state and 50 per cent private. This offers our pupils a good range of fixtures and opportunities. Each team (A and B in each age group) trains in their games afternoon (unless they have a game) and once after school. An Emerging Player Programme has been introduced to provide identified players with specialist coaching opportunities.

They are always looking to develop the cricket at school further and the employment of head coach Bullen, the former Surrey player plus the use of other experienced coaches like John Fry (Sutton CC) and Mark Cody (Banstead CC) is a testament to this Finest moment on the field Beating MCC in the annual match

Brief history Cricket in some form was played at Winchester from the 17th century onwards. The first inter-school match was in 1825 and the first recorded game against Eton was in 1826. Winchester played annual matches at Lord’s against Eton and Harrow from 1826 to 1854. Today, the school 1st XI is still known as Lords XI. The earliest recorded match played at Winchester is 1776 between College and Commoners, but the earliest match for which they have a score is College v Commoners in 1825 Cricketers of note Douglas Jardine (Surrey), Nawab of Pataudi Jr, Hubert Doggart (Sussex & England), JR Mason, JC Clay, HD Reed, J Shuter, Sir Henry Leveson-Gower, AJ Evans and DCH Townsend were all Old Wykehamist Test players and are commemorated in the pavilion, Hunter Tent. Away teams, including Australian touring sides, lunch under a portrait of Jardine. J Shuter appears to have been the first Wykehamist to have represented England in 1888 against Australia, followed by J R Mason (1898) and AJ Evans (1921). GHG Doggart, JR Mason, JC Clay, HD Reed, DCH Townsend and Sir Henry LevesonGower all played Tests for England

Extras The matches against Eton and Harrow were played at Lord’s, but Winchester were reputedly banned for 100 years for an incident which resulted in a fire being started in one of the stands.

Hampshire played one first-class game at the college, against Kent in 1875. The college has introduced sport scholarships for the first time.

Johnny Figy plays for UAE U19s and will soon begin training with the senior squad. In 2020 the college plan a trip to South Africa Finest moment on the field The 2009 and 2010 seasons in recent years, with 15 and 14 wins respectively. In 2015 DA Escott broke the Nawab of Pataudi’s

in 2015, when Ollie Robertson hit a magnificent hundred Cultural cricketers John Galliano (fashion designer), Pascal Anson (artist and designer–mentor on the BBC’s The Big Painting Challenge) and actor Sir Michael Caine – then known as Maurice Micklewhite – are all rumoured to have played

aggregate, totalling 1,096. Escott became the only boy the school is aware of to have played all his school games for the 1st XI Cultural cricketers Willie Whitelaw MP (1931–36), Tim Brooke-Taylor (1953–58)

Giles Munn Master in charge

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TOP 100 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

WOODHOUSE GROVE SCHOOL Apperley Bridge Bradford West Yorkshire BD10 0NR Established 1812 Number of pupils 700 Notable fixtures 1st XI had 19 in 2018. MCC, Manchester Grammar, St Peter’s York, Durham, Lancaster RGS, Leeds Grammar, Gresham’s, Queen Elizabeth Grammar Wakefield, Bradford Grammar, Ashville College,

WORKSOP COLLEGE Sparken Hill Worksop Nottinghamshire S80 3AP Established 1890 Number of pupils 420 from Y7 up Notable fixtures Millfield, Shrewsbury, Repton, Trent, Denstone, Stamford, King’s Taunton, Hurstpierpoint and MCC Cricket professionals Neil Longhurst (Yorkshire 2nd XI & Cumberland) and Ian Parkin (Derbyshire 2nd XI) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15A, U14A, U14/15B, U13/12A, U13/12B Girls’ cricket No, but those who play are filtered into the boys’ teams. Ella Porter is on the Notts EPP scheme Facilities Four indoor nets, 12 outdoor grass nets, four grounds.

The 1st XI pitch hosts Notts 2nd XI and age-group county fixtures. A newly refurbished indoor hall with improved lighting is planned Club/county affiliation Strong link with Nottinghamshire, through academy director Chris Tolley, and the England Performance Programme director Matt Wood. Their link with Notts, their Academy and the EPP 76 | thecricketer.com

WOODHOUSE GROVE SCHOOL // WORKSOP COLLEGE

Huddersfield New College Master in charge Ian Frost Professional Arnie Sidebottom (Yorkshire & England) Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14, U13, U12 Girls’ cricket The school has a tradition of developing female cricketers who are encouraged to play in school teams. Kathryn Leng played for England Women from 1994–2000. Rebecca Newark played for the Woodhouse Grove 1st XI and is now with Yorkshire Women.

She was also in the England U15 development squad in 2014

Facilities Set in the heart of the Aire Valley, four grass pitches, six artificial practice nets and one artificial pitch. The purpose-built sports centre includes four indoor nets. A new five-lane artificial outdoor net facility is planned for 2019 Club/county affiliation Yorkshire.

Frost works with the Yorkshire U19 team Brief history Cricket at Woodhouse Grove has grown significantly over the past 30 years. The school has been on overseas tours since 1998, when Zimbabwe was the destination. In 2016 the 1st and 2nd XIs went to Grenada and St Lucia.

In 2019 the destination will be Barbados and St Lucia. Woodhouse Grove enjoyed their best summer in 2014, when the 1st XI won all 18 completed fixtures and became the first northern school to win the National Schools T20. Captain Dylan Budge also received the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year Award and represented the MCC Schools v ESCA U17 at Lord’s.

He made his full debut for Scotland v Sri Lanka. 2016 captain Bailey Worcester captained MCC Schools XI v ESCA U17 at Lord’s Cricketers of note Craig Rika (Northants), Andrew Bairstow (Derbyshire), Uzair Mahomed (Durham), Ajmal Shahzad (England, Yorkshire, Lancashire, Notts & Sussex), Dalton Polius (West Indies U19), Larry Edward (Windward Islands), Dylan Budge (Durham, Scotland). Graham Roope (Surrey & England), Frank Tyson (Northants & England) were among the professionals Best prospects Newark, Adbi Hasan Ahmed Finest moment on the field Ajmal Shahzad making his Test debut against Bangladesh in 2010.

2014 when the 1st XI won all 18 completed fixtures. U14 ESCA Cup: Yorkshire champions – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 (finalists), 2017. U15 ESCA T20: Yorkshire champions 2011, 2013. 1st XI National Schools T20 winners 2014

allows them to act as a satellite point for their boys to have further training with Notts Academy coaches, hosted at Worksop College. They have hosted Notts 2nd XI fixtures for the past few seasons, along with the county age-group fixtures; their junior sides also playing against the equivalent county. Billy Root, Samit Patel, Brett Hutton played for the school Brief history Cricket has traditionally been the sporting strength of Worksop College since it was established in 1890, and has produced several first-class and international cricketers. The college has built a strong partnership with Notts CCC, who use the facilities here at Worksop to host their satellite academy sessions, and use the excellent playing arena on the main ground to play

2nd XI Championship and Trophy fixtures. A generous gift of land from the Duke of Newcastle’s Clumber estate has been extended over the years to provide the 330-acre estate on which the college stands today.

Since the centenary celebrations in 1995, constant redevelopment has seen the addition of a new music school, two new computer centres, a sports hall, two floodlit astroturfs, an 18-hole golf course, two completely new departments, Modern Languages and Food and Nutrition, and the building of a new girls’ boarding house Cricketers of note Joe Root (Yorkshire & England), Samit Patel (Notts & England), Richard Kettleborough (Yorkshire & Middlesex), Phil Sharpe (Yorkshire & England), Brett Hutton (Notts),

Billy Root (Notts) Extras Worksop College is a small school in relative terms, but its cricketing prowess stands up there with the big boys. In some cases it is a real David v Goliath, but Worksop College are never prepared to back down; a real sense of unity and team spirit is an integral part of their philosophy. The main ground also features a pavilion that is a Grade II* listed building, with the great hall of the college on the opposite side, increases the homely surroundings and makes it a stunning place to watch and play cricket. Students at the college are also representing age-group sides in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Notts, and both Yorkshire and Notts academies. A six-team U15 county T20 tournament is being hosted there. The 1st XI played in Cape Town and Paarl during February 2018, playing Wynberg, Bishops, Paarl Gimnasium and Paul Roos Finest moment on the field The 1st XI completed an unbeaten season on their regular fixture card in 2008, and reached the last eight of the National T20 competition Cultural cricketers Craig Woodhouse (The Sun) is among those to have played

WOR T H SCHOOL

WORTH SCHOOL Paddockhurst Road Turners Hill West Sussex RH10 4SD

Established 1933 Number of pupils 550 Notable fixtures MCC, Hurstpierpoint, Hampton, Eton, Bede’s. They enter into the Martin Berill League with Christ’s Hospital, Seaford College, City of London Freemen’s and Caterham schools at 1st XI, 2nd XI, 15A and 14A level (both years play in the Sussex, Blackshaw – champions of both in 2017 – and Holdsworth Cups).

The 1st XI plays around 21 games, including T20 Langdale Cup for private schools in Sussex, while the other A teams play around

12-15 and the Bs eight Cricket professional Raj Chaudhuri (ECB Level 4 and former first-class cricketer from India) Teams 1st, 2nd, U15AB, U14AB, U13AB (The 1st XI plays a mixture of formats: limited-overs, T20, declaration and all-day, the 2nds and Bs play a shorter format, maximum 25 overs. The 15 and 14As play 35, 30 and 20. The 13As play 25 or 28/22 with all results possible Girls’ cricket No separate teams but the talented ones play boys’ cricket. Ms Shweta Chaudhuri (Surrey Ladies and Surrey U19 player) is the first girl player to play in the school 1st XI. Claudie Cooper of Surrey U17s and Alice Grant of Kent U17s are playing for the 1st XI and 15As. A girls’ side is being planned Facilities Indoor with three nets

and two bowling machines, eight grass nets and three artificial surfaces with four grounds. There are plans for eight-lane astro nets Club/county affiliation Surrey and Sussex. Players from the school have been in the age-group county teams over the last 11 years. Krishan Nayee (1st XI captain) is at the Surrey Academy, Anish Padalkar and Mali Bardoi Lewis are in the U15 Sussex side and Padalkar has also been selected for South of England trials Brief history The Worth Junior Cricket Academy was started three years ago. Sussex age-group sides play at the school. The school are proud of their coaching and development programme. They tour once in three years, and have been to India, Malta, Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Cricketers of note Theo Rivers and Tom Cummins have played league cricket in Australia as overseas professionals Finest moment on the field Winning an eight-team interschool tournament in Bangalore in 2007. In 2017 they U14s won the Holdsworth and Sussex Cups

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The Cricketer Good Schools Guide 2019

The Cricketer Good Schools Guide 2019 is available to view or download for free at thecricketer.com

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

PERFECT PREPARATION

JIM HINDSON EXPLAINS WHY THE CRICKETER IS EXPANDING INTO JUNIOR SCHOOL COVERAGE

S

chools cricket has been covered by this magazine since its inception in 1921, so it is a little surprising that it was only four years ago that we decided to produce a definitive guide to the top cricket schools in the UK, initially titled The Playing Fields of England.

There has been surprise and genuine interest in both the amount and quality of cricket played at this level.

Readers have been delighted to be given the opportunity of an early look at potential future stars, and they have commented on the evocative photography.

Another common theme feeding back from readers has been to ask what cricket is available to young players before they reach secondary school age. Many cricket clubs do a fantastic job in running junior teams and coaching evenings and are well supported by Chance to Shine and the ECB All Stars Cricket programme, but what about prep and junior schools?

Is cricket a part of the curriculum at this age and if it is, how committed are the schools to providing a credible platform for children to learn the game and improve their skills?

Buoyed by the success of our secondary schools guide and encouraged by our readers, we decided to take the next step and are delighted to share the results in our inaugural Top 50 prep and junior schools guide.

Our editorial team do not do things by halves – and have invested countless hours researching the subject, talking to teachers, coaches and parents, along with county cricket boards and Chance to Shine, to produce this list.

The latest addition to our guide came with its challenges.

Schools catering for this younger age group tend to provide more diverse sporting opportunities, encouraging the children to have a go at lots of sports and recreational activities, rather than focusing on two or three key disciplines as you would find at senior schools. Fixture lists tend to be shorter and matches themselves (not surprising given the age of players) are also more concise affairs.

Nevertheless, we found that cricket is alive and kicking at many younger schools across the country and are delighted with the results of this new top 50 and the interest among schools that it has already created. We hope you, the readers, will enjoy it too.

TOP Beaudesert Park School INSET Papplewick School

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS ABBERLEY HALL SCHOOL Abberley Hall Worcester WR6 6DD Established 1916 Pupils 170, from years 3-8 Notable fixtures: County tournaments and IAPS competitions Head of cricket Mark Kennedy (1st XI coach Richard Keeble – former Hampshire 2nd XI) Teams run 3 U8/U9s, 8 U10/U11s, 7 U12/13s Girls’ cricket It is offered at the school, though some girls play in the boys’ team. Cricket is Abberley’s primary sport for girls and has been now for two years, and both boys and girls play cricket every afternoon during games Facilities Four indoor nets, four outdoor, two pitches on the astro turf, and eight wickets/pitches Brief history Cricket has always been the major sport for the boys at Abberley, with the boys representing the school in weekly matches from U8 level. The girls began playing in 2008 with cricket becoming the major sport for all girls in 2016. The boys and girls started together from this year. Abberley enter county tournaments for both boys and girls at U11 level and the Lady Taverner competitions. In the off-

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season indoor cricket nets are run for senior and colts squads Cricketers of note: Josh Dell (Worcestershire) What sets the school apart: All of their boys and girls train together in daily games sessions.

Both the Senior (U12/13) and Colts (U10/11) groups are split into mixed and differentiated ability groups, with the U8/9 training together. No groups are split by sex. They have male and female coaches coaching the opposite sex as well as their own, with the top coaches also working with the lower-ability sides. The school’s selection policy is about enjoyment, opportunities for all and learning and not all about winning, meaning they select teams that are fair and safe, with the emphasis not being on results.

In the same age group, they will put out hardball, incrediball and softball matches if that is what is most appropriate, as well as changing the format to encourage enjoyment and success.

Instead of hiring outside coaches, all school teams are taken by class teachers (including PE teachers).

Finest moments on the field They have had various victories in local derbies, won school and county tournaments, children that have taken a fantastic number of wickets or scored a great number of runs with the bat. However one

standout has to be the repeated selection and the fantastic reception by parents, pupils and various oppositions of the girls representing Abberley in various traditionally ‘boys’ cricket teams,’ including the 1st XI. On the same note Abberley have played boys in traditionally ‘girls’ cricket’ fixtures as well this term Plans The hope is to engage more with local professional cricket sides, as well as engage more with the community and local sides.

The long-term plan is to no longer have ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ sides and just have cricket teams who play suitable oppositions, mixed or not.

Best prospect Max Vesty (U12) – last year he scored seven fifties at

U11 level. He is the 1st XI opening bowler, as well as the current Worcestershire U12 captain Tours Recently the boys went to Cheptstow and Bristol, with the girls going to Bath and Bristol Extras “It has been fantastic to see both boys and girls continuing to play after leaving Abberley, whether it be village or leading independent schools’ 1st XI sides.

Abberley have former pupils captaining or having recently captained senior school 1st XI sides, or continuing to play county up the age groups, and are genuinely all about cricket for all and encouraging participation in the future”

ABINGDON PREP // BARFIELD SCHOOL

ABINGDON PREP Josca’s House Kingston Road Frilford Oxfordshire OX13 5NX Established 1956 Number of pupils 250 Fixtures 97. Most notable 1st XI v Abingdon School Head of cricket Ryan Higgins (ECB Level 3, Zimbabwe) Number of teams 19. 1st, 2nd, 3rd,

BARFIELD SCHOOL Guildford Road Runfold Surrey GU10 1PB Established 1933 Number of pupils 41 boys and 37 girls in year 3–8, with 100-plus children in nursery to Year 2 classes Notable fixture In 1994, Barfield’s U11 boys qualified for the County finals, which took place at The Oval Head of cricket Steve Holland, and Ray Taylor as director of sport and outdoor pursuits Teams U9 12-a-side pairs cricket, U11, and U13 (with only 4 boys in Year 8, 0 boys in Year 7, 8 boys in Year 6 and 14 boys in Year 5 Girls’ cricket Recently Barfield have set up a cricket training club for U11 girls, and have held their

4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, U10 ABC, U11 ABC Facilities Four indoor nets, three outdoor nets, four grass wickets Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire CCC Finest moment on the field IAPS quarter-finals Plans for the future GECKO Cricket Academy Best prospect Freddie Deans (year 7) Tours Warm weather training, Desert Springs, Murcia

first U11 match against another school. The junior U9 girls have been included in their inter-house junior cricket competition Facilities One cricket square and three bay cricket nets Club/county affiliation None, but pupils are encouraged to join local sides such as Normandy, Aldershot, Farnham and Rowledge Brief history Barfield was established at its current site in 1933. The earliest photographs available show that cricket was played there in the late 1930s as part of the PE curriculum. Barfield has used the main games field for all sports including football, rugby and hockey. During the summer term, the area would be developed into a cricket field, where the groundsman would try his best to cut a square from the existing available ground in the middle. During the past 10 years

Barfield has now designated an area in the middle of this games field for its cricket square. They have added loam to the earth and re-cultivated the area. New grass seed and fertiliser has been continually put down to further enhance the way the wickets are now produced.

Last year Barfield demolished the old cricket pavilion and replaced the building with a new structure, which is used when they have home matches, as well as being a sports store for the PE department. A three-bay synthetic cricket net area was built during the spring term in 2018, which is used by pupils from Years 1–8 to improve their batting and bowling skills What sets the school apart Barfield is a very small school, trying extremely hard on a tight budget to ensure that the pupils have good-quality facilities and

resources to use to develop their ability in cricket. Eight years ago a Saturday morning School of Sport was set up. During the summer term, boys and girls are able to come into school and receive coaching in tennis, rounders, athletics and cricket. Barfield aims to make the activities fun and enjoyable for all, no matter what their level of ability Finest moment on a cricket field The Surrey Schools’ Final at The Oval in 1994 Plans for the future If numbers stay relatively the same, it is quite difficult to have matches where the teams are evenly matched. Pairs cricket is the way forward for the school and that more fixtures will include girls in the teams on a more regular basis.

Best prospect Lev Davies plays cricket for a local club and is close to county standard Extras Outstanding facilities, beautiful grounds and a team of staff who always go the extra mile to ensure that all pupils are given the opportunity to find a sport or activity that they enjoy

Ray Taylor and Steve Holland

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS BEAUDESERT PARK SCHOOL Minchinhampton Gloucestershire GL6 9AF Established 1908 Pupils 450 How many fixtures/most notable In 2018 they have 199 separate cricket fixtures, across all teams (boys and girls) in Years 3–8 Head of cricket/cricket professional Steve Winchester and Liam Smith (1st XI coaches), as well as Henry Smith Teams 32 Girls cricket This has been introduced over the last two years.

2018 saw the first year where cricket became the girls’ major sport for the summer term in Years 3 -8, and there are 15 girls’ teams in total. The school also ran a weekly staff inset throughout the Easter term for girls’ sport staff to prepare them for the transition. The school has also formed links with Gloucestershire Cricket Board and Lisa Pagett, who helped with preparing for the girls’ cricket season Facilities Use of two indoor nets, four outdoor all-weather cricket

Petch Lenham Head of girls’ cricket

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BE AUDESER T PARK SCHOOL // BEDE’S PREP SCHOOL

nets, two grass nets, for cricket squares and space for 11 cricket matches at one time on their playing fields Club/county affiliation Gloucestershire Cricket Board, as well as links to a number of local clubs Brief history Cricket has been played at Beaudesert for as long as they have been at their current site, having moved there in 1918. They have been celebrating the school’s centenary on this site this year. The playing fields are a short trip across the Minchinhampton Common.

The school has traditionally played on a strong south-west circuit of other prep schools What sets the school apart Beaudesert has a clear ‘sport for all’ ethos, and encourage all children to get involved in games. All pupils play in regular fixtures throughout the term, and this year girls’ cricket has become a major sport at the school. This has meant that they have had match days with over 20 teams all playing against the same school, creating a brilliant atmosphere. At the same time they are able to compete at a high level with our top teams, and this year the school’s 1st XI qualified for the

finals day of the IAPS Cricket Cup (formerly Jet Cup), finishing third Finest moment on the field Not one of 1st XI achievement, but would perhaps instead be seeing 23 school teams compete against Pinewood (their friendly rivals) earlier in the term, with matches being played at the two schools. To see what would have been nearly 500 pupils from the two schools taking part in one block fixture of cricket was a fantastic moment Plans for the future The school has been engaging more with local clubs,

BEDE’S PREP SCHOOL

Established 1895 Notable fixtures Brighton College, Hurst, Ardingly, Cumnor House, Holmewood House, St Andrew’s Director of cricket Alan Wells (Sussex, Kent & England) Professional coaches Neil Lenham (Sussex CCC), James Kirtley (Sussex & England) Head of girls’ cricket Petch Lenham Teams 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, U12 A&B Colts A, B & C U10, U9 A&B, U8 A&B, Girls 1st, 2nd, U11, U10, U9/8 Facilities Four indoor nets, two outdoor, astro and use of all senior school facilities playing all fixtures at senior school County affiliation Sussex CCC Brief history Bede’s Prep has experienced great success over the years, especially the last decade having an extensive all-year-round cricket programme from Year

Duke’s Drive, Eastbourne East Sussex BN20 7XL

and the Gloucestershire Cricket Board, to develop stronger links.

With the introduction of girls’ cricket, they will continue to try and grow the sport, and see their girls develop through from Year 3 to Year 8 Best prospect Charlie Brook.

Gloucestershire U13 allrounder, and recent recipient of a sports scholarship to Marlborough. He scored highly last summer, and took a number of wickets. He recently scored 111 against Prestfelde in a National Cup quarter-final, hitting 11 sixes along the way

1 upwards. The school boasts recent record of winning two JET National Cups, being finalists four times, and ESCA South East National regional champions twice. In the last 10 years, Bede’s have been U13 county champions six times and U12 county champions seven times.

The school places high value on participation in sport. Bede’s Prep has prioritised the development and growth of girls’ cricket, winning the Lady Taverners county title five times and having a growing programme commencing in Year 1.

A weekly girls’ cricket hub is run for Years 3 to 8 Cricketers of note Ed Giddins (Sussex, Surrey, Warwickshire, Hants & England), Ollie Rayner (Sussex & Middlesex), Luke Wells (Sussex), Callum Jackson (Sussex), Sarah Taylor (Sussex & England) Bede’s School: p12

Bede’s Cricket Achievements

1st XI Sussex Champions – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018 1st XI South East Regional Champions – 2011, 2012, 2013 1st XI South of England Champions – 2012, 2013 1st XI National Runners Up – 2012, 2013 U15 ESCA National Champions and Sussex Champions – 2017 Girls’ U15 Lord’s Taverners National Finalist – 2011 U13, U14 Sussex Champions – 2015, 2016 Girls’ U13 Sussex Champions – 2017

Bede’s Alumni Sarah Jane Taylor – Sussex CCC and England Callum Jackson – Sussex CCC and England U19 Ollie Rayner – Sussex CCC, Middlesex CCC, England U19 and England Lions Luke Wells – Sussex CCC, England U19 and England Lions Shai Hope – Barbados and West Indies Fynn Hudson-Prentice – Sussex CCC Delray Rawlins – Sussex CCC and England Young Lions

Coaching Staff

Alan Wells (ECB Level 4) Sussex CCC, Kent CCC and England Neil Lenham (ECB Level 3) Sussex CCC Petch Lenham (ECB Level 3) James Kirtley (ECB Level 3) Sussex CCC and England

Bede’s Prep School Duke’s Drive, Eastbourne East Sussex BN20 7XL bedes.org

Cheam School, Headley, Newbury, Berkshire, RG19 8LD Tel. 01635 268242 Email: office@cheamschool.co.uk

“Pupils have a keen sense of loyalty and demonstrate strong team spirit” “The resources for outdoor education and sports are outstanding” (ISI Inspection, 2015)

IAPS – Boarding, flexi-boarding and day Boys and girls 3 months to 13 For more information please contact: ros.nairne@bedes.org T 01323 843252

A love of learning inside and outside the classroom • Awarded “Excellent” in all categories by the Independent Schools Inspectorate • Continuity of care for girls and boys aged 2-13 • Open throughout the year

Barfield School Guildford Rd, Runfold, Farnham GU10 1PB Tel. 01252 782271 Email. admin@barfieldschool.com

www.barfieldschool.com

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS BELHAVEN HILL SCHOOL Belhaven Road Dunbar East Lothian EH42 1NN Scotland Established 1923 Pupils 135 Fixtures 13, with the most notable fixtures being Glenalmond College Six a Side Tournament, Fettes College, Merchiston Castle Master in charge William Townshend Teams 6 – 1st XI, 2nd XI, U11A, U11B, U9, Girls Girls’ cricket Offered as an optional activity. The girls have had matches since 2012. In 2018 they played an off-season indoor match with Loretto and had two fixtures last summer Facilities Two indoor nets and bowling machine; four artificial, outdoor nets; one moveable batting cage; two grass wickets including an U11 pitch with overhanging copper beech daffodils as boundary markers in the early season Club affiliation Previously with Stenton & Tyninghame CC, now with The Borderers CC Brief history Cricket has been played at the school since its earliest days though not all seasons were enjoyable: “This year’s cricket must go down in the history of the school as unparalleled. Bad weather and whooping cough have ruined everything,” reported the Belhaven Hill Magazine in 1935.

Though the school was relocated during the Second World War,

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cricket continued at its new location – Dinnet House – though on a matting pitch. The early days of a handful of matches are long gone – the sport grows and thrives today with 13 regular fixtures alongside Fathers, Staff & Old Boys’ matches and single & double wicket competitions Cricketers of note Freddie Coleman (Scotland & Warwickshire) What sets the school apart The beautiful setting of the 1st XI square on the East Lothian coast along with match teas that entice parents from far and wide – even if they do not have children involved in the cricket Finest moments on the field Sweeping aside all to win both the U11 and U13 Glenalmond six- a-side competitions in 2017, then retaining the senior title in 2018 to round off an unbeaten season Plans Both senior and junior nets are scheduled to be updated and resurfaced over the next two years.

The school is exploring links with Dunbar CC for the 2019 season to try and establish joint training sessions, and hopes to further its links with The Borderers CC and get even more boys playing in Borderers’ fixtures Cultural cricketers James Douglas Hamilton, Baron Selkirk of Douglas, previously MP & MSP, life peer in House of Lords. Magnus Linklater, journalist, author, former editor of The Times and The Scotsman.

Andrew Linklater, author and international relations academic Best prospect William Gimlette (destined for Rugby) as a pace bowler

BLUNDELL’S PREP SCHOOL Milestones House Blundell’s Road Tiverton Devon EX16 4NA Established 1929 Pupils 216 boys and girls Fixtures Each age group (U8, U9, U10 and U11) plays each week in the summer term – over 12 matches each. Notable fixtures include Millfield Prep, East Devon District teams and Thompson Sports Academy, Bristol Cricket professional Liam Lewis Head of boys’ games Simon Swain Number of teams: Both boys’ and girls’ A & B teams from U8-U11 Girls’ cricket Offered across the games curriculum, with fixtures, and some girls play in boy’s teams Facilities Indoor net facilities, three grass nets and two pitches.

Full access to senior school facilities, which include; 10 grass nets, four outdoor artificial nets and five pitches Club/county affiliation Devon CB and Heathcoat CC. The school itself is in an East Devon regional development centre Brief history Cricket has been the major games for boys since the school was founded. Girls’ cricket is now mainstream with all enjoying games lessons and matches. In each age group there have been district and county

players through the years (15 county/district players this year).

Cricket is offered all year round with winter coaching, pre-season and an extensive fixture list for all years in the Prep School.

Specialist games teachers teach cricket to all in the pre-prep, and there is a well-attended cricket club after school for U6 and U7s Cricketers of note Dom Bess (Somerset & England), Vic Marks (Somerset & England), Jeremy Lloyds (Somerset, Gloucester, Orange Free State) Hugh Morris (Glamorgan & England), Samuel Wyatt-Haines (Somerset) – several more in less recent times (e.g. Ulrick Considine who played for Somerset in early 20th century; Royston Gabe-Jones who played for Glamorgan whilst still at school in 1922 at the age of 15 – the youngest county cricketer in the 20th century) What sets the school apart The school plays a prominent role in supporting representative cricket, hosting matches for boys and girls at all age levels from U8 through to U11. The school hosts the Andrew Flintoff Academy during the summer, while there is all-year-round coaching for all using the indoor facilities during winter, and the outdoor nets or the extensive grounds around the school in summer. Elite coaching is offered for those who play district/ county through the winter and pre-season. There is one-to-one available from a Level 4 coach, and there is weekly specialist cricket

BLUNDELL’S PREP SCHOOL // CALDICO T T SCHOOL

CALDICOTT SCHOOL Crown Lane Farnham Royal Bucks SL2 3SL coaching in pre-prep. The East Devon Girls coach runs a training session weekly and the school plays against the girls’ district team with much success. All girls and boys have three games sessions a week taken by specialist games teachers Finest moments on the field This season the U11 boys were unbeaten in all matches, and in one game Edward Yeadon bowled a four-wicket maiden including a hat trick Plans The school is going to become the East Devon Regional Coaching centre this winter.

It continues to have excellent links with Tiverton’s Heathcoat CC (Devon Premier Division) and share facilities with them. It also plans integration and equal opportunities for boys and girls cricket, promoting All Stars Cricket to the very junior end of the school Cultural cricketers Christopher Ondaatje (author and philanthropist), Michael Mates (politician), Tristan Evans (drummer with The Vamps), Jack Maunder (England Rugby), Dave Lewis (Exeter Chiefs). Visiting players have included Mike Gatting, who played for the Lord’s Taverners v Old Blundellians at the school during the quarter centenary celebrations.

Sir Garfield Sobers came as an ambassador for his international cricket tournament in 2008 Best prospect Sebastian Linnitt (Devon) Tours Proposed tour to Sri Lanka in 2020 Blundell’s School: p13

Established 1904 Number of pupils 280 Notable fixtures This season Caldicott had 210 matches scheduled against other schools.

It also had a number of internal fixtures, as well as a competitive house competition. The highlight of the season is the final of the CPL (Caldicott Premier League). This tournament is made up of all U12 & U13 boys in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th XIs. The school has a highly competitive fixture list that comprises of Dragon, Summer Fields, Lambrook, Bedford, Ludgrove, Cothill House, Cheam and Moulsford just to name a few Master of cricket Terrence Zengerink Teams Seniors: 11, U11: four, U10: four, U9: four, U8: two Facilities: Six outdoor nets, four indoor nets, two squares, four artificial pitches, two outfield pitches, astro turf Club/county affiliation Middlesex, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hampshire Brief history: Although Caldicott is now more than a hundred years old, in the 1960s and 1970s it gained the reputation as a very fine rugbyplaying prep school. It was during that time that an extensive area of the school grounds was flattened and in-filled so that an extensive cricket square was made possible. During the 1980s the cricket fixture list was greatly

improved and, together with an excellent head groundsman, the standard of cricket at the school improved considerably.

A three-day cricket festival at the end of the summer term and regular overseas trips started in the 1990s while Simon Doggart as headmaster (1997-2017), introduced many famous ex-players to Caldicott for memorable cricketing dinners with the likes of Curtly Ambrose, Garfield Sobers, Gordon Greenidge, Colin Cowdrey, Denis Compton, Yuvraj Singh and Mike Atherton to name a few Cricketers of note Andrew Strauss, Fabian Cowdrey Jack Rogers, Alex Shoff (USA U19), Mark Dickson What sets the school apart: It is important that every boy represents the school and gets the opportunity to feel part of a team. With excellent coaching and regular games time they are able to provide Caldicott boys with the opportunity to develop and grow as cricketers. The phenomenal head groundsman Steve Wood (who sadly passed away earlier this year) prepared a cricket wicket any county ground would be proud of Finest moments on the field Touring South Africa in 2017 and beating Bishops, SACS, Western Province Prep then returning to the UK and winning the National T20 Cup Plans: The school strives to get outside coaches involved, whether it be senior schools coming in to do some coaching or going somewhere new to use top-of-the-range facilities.

Caldicott has recently relayed the

outfield on the main square, as well as putting in a new drainage system. It has changed the way it runs junior cricket at the school, always looking to make it fun and entertaining. This season the school has introduced the U8 super skills festivals, which take place three times throughout the term. The Caldicott Premier League has been a success for many years now and the school is looking to grow it further by introducing other schools for a festival involving coloured clothing and large crowds. This has taken place in the past and was a big success Cultural cricketers Sir Tom Stoppard OM played on main field when son Ed was skipper.

Oli Broom (Old Boy) cycled from Lord’s to Brisbane for the Ashes in 2010/11 and wrote the book Cycling to the Ashes. Dennis Silk and Hubert Doggart were also regulars on the boundary Best prospect Luke Hope Tours Cape Town cricket tour in February 2019. The school will play Bishops, SACS, Western Province Prep, Somerset College and Bridge House Extras Cricket has a special place at Caldicott. Simon Doggart, who was headmaster from 1997–2017 and sadly passed away last year, was an avid cricketer who played cricket to a high standard himself, and was always about the grounds applauding the cricket on show.

Caldicott strives to produce excellent cricketers, but more importantly gentleman who know how to win and lose with dignity and respect for the opposition

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS CHEAM SCHOOL Headley Newbury Berkshire RG19 8LD

Established 1645 Pupils 311 Fixtures Each team usually has between 8-12 fixtures, with notable fixtures against Dragon, Ludgrove,

CLIFTON COLLEGE PREP The Avenue Bristol BS8 3HE

Established 1908 Pupils 313 in the prep school from Years 4–8 Fixtures 20 1st XI games. Notable fixtures include Cheltenham College, Millfield and often a touring team for South Africa Cricket professional Jim Williams (Glamorgan), with James Averis (Gloucestershire) Teams Five at U13/12. U11 three.

U10 three. U9 four. U8 two Girls’ cricket Two U13 teams, four U11 teams, three U10 teams and two U9 teams run by Charlotte Graveney Facilities 12 outdoor astro turf nets, two permanent bowling machine nets, eight cricket squares, six indoor cricket lanes, and one portable cage net

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CHE AM SCHOOL // CLIF T ON COLLEGE PREP

Caldicott and Summer Fields.

Cheam v Elstree is the local derby Master of cricket Dominic Pike Teams 16 boys’ teams and 13 girls’ teams Girls’ cricket It started at Cheam in 2017 and plans are afoot to develop this further over the coming years. Its transition this season in particular has proven successful and the girls have enjoyed the change from rounders

Club/county affiliation Gloucestershire and Somerset Brief history High-quality cricket coaching, fixtures and club/ county affiliations have been integral to sporting life at Clifton College for more than 100 years Professionals produced Jim Williams (Glamorgan, current staff), Reg Williams (current staff, Gloucestershire), James Kirtley (England & Sussex), Matt Windows, James Whitby-Coles, William Rudge, Christopher Trembath (all Gloucestershire), Finn Trenouth & Louie Shaw (both England U19 2017/18) What sets the school apart Gloucestershire used Clifton College until 1932. They play a T20 warm-up fixture on the Close in June. There are still 2nd XI matches played and all county age-group games. The Close saw 13 of WG Grace’s centuries. The Close featured in the poem by Old Cliftonian Sir Henry Newbolt

Facilities Four indoor nets, four outdoor (with four more planned to be built for the 2019 season), two grass nets and 10 squares. Four cricket cages for square sessions.

The astroturf surface is also used in inclement weather Club/county affiliation Berkshire CCC and Hampshire CCC Brief history Cricket is popular at Cheam, often with every boy playing in a school team on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable coaches ensure that the boys and girls are given the chance to improve their own individual technique, learn about tactics as well as building a strong team spirit.

Pupils have at least three practices a week and the school’s facilities are regularly put to good use in lunchtimes and evenings Cricketers of note Ivo Bligh (England’s first Ashes-winning captain) and Rupert Cox (Hampshire) What sets the school apart Cheam boasts an inclusive approach to cricket. Players in the 1st XI are awarded their cap once a pupil has reached 100 runs or 10 wickets in the side. The school run the ‘Andrew Award’ each cricket

(Vitaï Lampada): “There’s a breathless hush in the Close to-night – Ten to make and the match to win – A bumping pitch and a blinding light, An hour to play and the last man in” Finest moments on the field In 1899, as a 13-year-old schoolboy, Collins scored the highest recorded cricket score of 628 not out. This feat took place during a junior school house match

term, open to every player from U9 to 5th XI level, where they all earn points for runs, wickets and catches/stumpings. This reinforces the all-inclusive approach to Cheam’s cricket. The winning player gets a trophy and signed bat

by Flintoff for the highest average of points per game over the season Finest moments on the field Cheam’s U10 boys won the Charterhouse Prep Schools Tournament in 2018 Plans for the future There will be a new net system installed ready for the 2019 season, as well as an U13 tour to Cape Town in February 2019 Cultural cricketers HRH Prince Philip, HRH Prince Charles Tours The school embark on their eighth tour to Cape Town in February. The school tour South Africa every two years but also enjoy touring more locally, such as Shropshire in 2017. There will also be a UK-based Under 11 Tour in 2019

Dominic Pike Master of cricket

between Clarke’s House and North Town House Cultural cricketers John Cleese represented the 1st XI and, rumour has it, created his ‘walk’ while waiting to bat Best prospect Ethan Moss Tours: Clifton toured Barbados in 2017 and Yorkshire each summer Extras: There are five former county players on the staff Clifton College: p20

cranmore school // crick l ade manor prep

Cranmore School Epsom Road West Horsley Surrey KT24 6AT Established 1968 Pupils 450 Fixtures 150 matches – most notable fixture is against Rokeby School in Surrey where over a week in May 150 Cranmore pupils play in 15 matches from U8 to 1st XI level competing for a trophy.

Cricket professional Ollie Hairs (5 ODIs for Scotland) Master in charge Anthony Down Teams 26 play fixtures from other local schools from U8 to U13 level Girls’ cricket Cranmore went co-educational in 2016. The oldest girls are in Year one and they play in mixed U8 matches Facilities Cranmore has four grounds available on the school site to host matches. Five full-length indoor nets allow a comprehensive winter programme including use of three bowling machines. Five grass nets have recently been removed to be replaced by an all-weather installation in the future

Club/county affiliation Surrey Brief history Cricket commenced at Cranmore under Hartley Bishop, who was responsible for the building of the sports hall in 1984. The facility, which provides five nets, meant that Cranmore became well known for hosting county age-group training. Many coaches received their education at Cranmore as it was the centre for ECB level one and two courses in the county. Cranmore enjoys a close link with the community with both Horsley and Send CC and Guildford CC using the facilities during the winter. Many of the pupils have represented district or county age-group sides and have benefitted from receiving coaching from former professionals such as Adam Hollioake and Alex Tudor.

Major tours are undertaken every four years and this has raised the profile of cricket even further Cricketers of note Nick Peters (Surrey) What sets the school apart The game ‘Cranmore Cricket’ was created at the school and is still used in coaching sessions throughout the county. Designed

for use in schools and featuring in educational guides, it allowed a game of cricket to be played in a shorter format during lesson time Finest moment on the field: Cranmore has won the Surrey Prep Schools Cup several times at both U11 and U13 level, the most recent time being in 2014 Plans: New outdoor, all-weather nets are planned. The promotion of girls’ cricket is now one of Cranmore’s priorities, with New

Zealand international Arlene Kelly visiting this summer to run coaching sessions for the girls Cultural cricketer: Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter) Best prospect: Morgan Barnes (Surrey U12s) Tours: Cranmore have toured Barbados in 2014 and 2018. 1st XI has toured the West Country annually for 15 years. Fixtures have included Millfield Prep, Clifton College and Prior Park in Bath

one of the major contributors to grassroots cricket in the local area What sets the school apart The school has created a cricketing environment in which a number of our pupils thrive. A number of pupils play representative cricket, which filters down to younger pupils who want a taste of their peers’ success.

Cricklade says it has some fantastic coaches who are always willing to go that step further to support the pupils. Within Games lessons the school looks to keep class sizes low

to ensure maximum participation is achieved, and have every pupil playing in competitive fixtures once a week. It sets an appropriate level of fixtures that challenge every pupil while aiming to give them opportunities within the match. Cricklade has developed a mentoring programme for the more able pupils to guide them through the demands of school and playing representative cricket Finest moment on the field They recently scored 242 for 4 in 25 overs Plans Cricklade is looking to further links with local clubs, continuing to invest in new equipment and is currently looking into building two astro turf wickets Best prospect Nicolas Viljoen – a strong left-handed bat who recently scored back-to-back hundreds for school and club.

Bowls with pace and is a fine fielder Tours In March Cricklade toured Barbados and played club and school teams in what proved to be four very well contested matches.

In 2015 the school toured Dubai, and aim to tour a new venue in 2021

Cricklade Manor prep Calcutt Street Cricklade SN6 6BB Established 1946 (formerly Priory Park Prep) Pupils 175 Fixtures 10–15 for each team, against local prep schools Cricket professional Tom Davies (former Gloucestershire CCC) Teams 8 boys and 6 girls.

Girls’ cricket Girls’ cricket has been introduced in the last three years, with this year being the first full season of girls’ cricket Facilities 12 acres of playing fields, one grass and one astro wicket, with two wickets on our astro turf. The school also has a five-lane sports hall and a large playground area Club/county affiliation Clubs in the local area: Swindon, Purton, Royal Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury and Cricklade. The school hosts the Cricklade All Stars every Saturday morning, and has a number of boys who play district

cricket for North East Wiltshire from U10–U13. Cricklade has 10 boys who play county cricket for Wiltshire Brief history Cricket has traditionally been a strong sport at Cricklade Manor, having benefited from outstanding facilities and an ethos that gives every pupil an opportunity to compete at a level appropriate to their needs. In recent years the school has seen a number of boys and girls develop links with local clubs and are

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

CUMNOR HOUSE SCHOOL, CROYDON 168 Pampisford Road South Croydon Surrey CR2 6DA Website: www.cumnorhouse.com Admissions: admissions@cumnorhouse.com Established 1931 Pupils 215 Notable fixtures About 150 a summer. Notable fixtures include U9A against Surrey District, and the U13A team against SHS, Rokeby or Downsend Cricket professional Ryan

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CUMNOR HOUSE SCHOOL, CROY DON

Brotherton and Tom Battams, (Southern Railway, Kenley & Selsdon CC 1st XI), as well as Cameron Jones (Old Wilsonians) Number of teams 28: U13ABCD, U12A (development XI), U11ABCD, U10ABCD, U11/10 Skills Club, U9ABCDEFG, U9 Skills Club, U8ABCD, U8 Skills Club, U7/6A Girls’ cricket Offered at the girls school at a number of levels: U11A, U10A, U9A & U8A – 18 fixtures Facilities One ground with four pitches, eight astro nets, one throw-down net. Pitch 1: ropes, sightscreens, covers, 12 wickets; pitch 2: ropes, four wickets, electronic scoreboard; pitch 3: four wickets, pitch 4: one wicket Club/county affiliation Cumnor House hosts U9 Surrey district matches. Boys play club cricket at Old Whitgiftians CC, Trinity Mid-Whitgiftians CC, Purley CC & SRK&S CC Brief history Fundamentals introduced in pre-prep, then the boys start competitive fixtures in Year 3. From Year 4 onwards the boys are

introduced to hard ball practices and fixtures. In most year groups the school fields four teams and A teams from U9 level up take part in several tournaments as well as annual cricket tours. The majority of our A,B & C team players play for club, county district or full county age-group teams Cricketers of note Mark Butcher (Surrey & England), Gary Butcher (Surrey), David Sales (Northants), Alistair Brown (Surrey & England), Scott Newman (Surrey & Middlesex) Extras 2017: U13 Surrey Cup Prep School winners, U13 National Prep Schools semi-finalists. 2016 -U13 Surrey Cup Prep School winners. U11 Surrey Cup Prep School winners. 2015 -U13 Surrey Cup Prep School runners-up, U11 Surrey Cup Prep School winners Finest moments on the field In 2018, scoring 283 for 4 off 20 overs against St John’s, Leatherhead. In 2017 Cumnor

House won the U13 Surrey Cup for the second successive year and made it through to the top four prep schools in the country at U13 level. In 2016 won the Surrey Prep Schools Cup at U13 and U11 levels – four different centurions shared a total of 11 hundreds Future plans White-ball hardball on pitches 2 and 3 for U10-13BC teams, and to continue with U9A v Surrey District sides Best prospect Veer Patel (Year 8) Recent or forthcoming tours Barbados in 2019, having gone in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The school has also been to Dubai and South Africa in the past Cultural cricketers Elliot Daly (England rugby) was head boy in 2003 and represented Surrey CCC at schoolboy level

Ryan Brotherton Cricket professional

Endeavour Courage Resilience Our Boys follow ‘The Cumnor Way’, traditional values that underpin the supportive ethos and excellent curriculum at Cumnor House School. Our provision in sport is second to none; with success at National level in cricket and boasting an illustrious alumni across our main sports. Our children strive to achieve their academic potential by expanding their sense of curiosity, understanding the importance of perseverance, critical thinking, objectivity and reflection. Cumnor House is far more than academics and sport alone, we would love you and your family to visit us and learn more about what makes Cumnor House the right school for Boys’ education.

www.cumnorhouse.com 0208 645 2614 admissions@cumnorhouse.com

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

DORSE T HOUSE SCHOOL // DRAGON SCHOOL

DORSET HOUSE SCHOOL

and England team manager John Barclay. Pupils receive two sessions per week of 90 minutes plus weekly fixtures and additional after-school training for those who wish Finest moments on the field: In recent years Dorset House’s teams have been involved in some very close finishes but none more so than the 2016 1st XI fixture at Seaford College that ended in a tie. It was agreed by the coaches that the game should be decided by a ‘super over’. Dorset House set Seaford a target of nine, but only managed three

Plans: This year Dorset House made the final of the Sussex Schools’ U13 Cup. They are looking to upgrade their pavilion next year Cultural cricketers: Harry Enfield, actor Ed Speleers, F1 driver Jolyon Palmer and jockey Harry Bentley Best prospect: 1st XI captain Sam Green, who bats in the top order and bowls leg-spin. He represents Sussex CCC and Middleton CC Tours: 1st XI planned for spring 2019 to Spain Extras: Although a small school, Dorset House prides themselves on attention to detail. As the Good Schools’ Guide once quoted “Dorset House punches above its weight on the sports field”. This is down to a commitment from staff to provide a full and comprehensive cricket education and experience.

The school encourages its players to get involved in cricket at local clubs and support parents in their busy schedules. The top-scorers and wicket-takers lists are updated weekly on the sports noticeboard and score updates are jotted on the whiteboard to keep everyone informed of England’s progress

features in the 2nd edition, and by 1897 The Draconian contained five pages of details on that season’s matches. However, in summer 1904 the fathers’ match with the leaving boys was celebrated with the first team photo to appear in the magazine. The team as well as some keen spectators were photographed against the old Willow tree by the River Cherwell.

One early Dragon managed to play for his college (Christ Church), get his Oxford Blue and play for

Sussex – Charles D Fisher. Sadly, his choice of the Navy meant he fell in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.

However, behind him followed several generations who played for their university teams, and went onto play in other counties Professionals George Munsey (Northants & Scotland), Maia Bouchier (Middlesex Women & England U19), Alex Hearne (Cambridge MCCU & Essex 2nd XI) What sets the school apart It is not unusual for the Dragon to field a dozen or more sides on any one Wednesday or Saturday, often taking on more than one opponent to ensure that as many boys as possible have the opportunity to play the game. The school is delighted to support state school cricket, as per the ‘Oxfordshire Bulls’ initiative, and also hosted the Midlands Final of the David English/ Bunbury U13 Cup between local state school Wheatley Park and Packwood Haugh from Shropshire Finest moments on the field Last summer they completed a clean sweep over local rivals Summer Fields (across 15 fixtures)

The Manor Church Lane Bury Pulborough West Sussex RH20 1PB Established 1784 Pupils 146 Fixtures In 2018, 65, with Westbourne House as local rivals Director of sport Greg Weaver Teams Six plus a dads’ XI Girls cricket Coaching was introduced in 2018, though no girls’ team as yet. Two girls are in the 1st XI squad. Fixtures are to be introduced in summer 2019 Facilities Two pitches – one grass and one Flicx. Astro used for some U9 softball fixtures and for training purposes. Two lanes of artificial grass nets. Bowling machine. The school also has the use of Arundel Castle Cricket Indoor School Club/county affiliation Sussex Brief history The school has had several locations over the years, moving from Hendon to Bury, via

Elstree and Littlehampton. It has been on its current site since 1963.

The current ground was created in the early 1960s and the pavilion built in 1992. One of the school’s headmasters, David Munro, was a close friend of WG Grace What sets the school apart: Dorset House is proud to have one of the prettiest cricket grounds you can find, not just in schools, but across the country. It is situated in the Arun Valley, nesting at the foot of the South Downs, in a West Sussex village. One of the governors is ex-Sussex captain

DRAGON SCHOOL Bardwell Road Oxford OX2 6SS Established 1877 Notable fixtures 136 fixtures against 15 opponents. Traditionally, the block fixture with local rivals Summer Fields has taken pride of place, but in recent years the match against Caldicott has become defining Cricket professional Oliver Wood (ex-Worcestershire CCC) Teams 31, from U9–U13, from the 1st XI through to block fixtures at U9 level for the Outlaws, Rapids, Spitfires and Vikings Girls’ cricket Taking off, with a number of girls playing for boys’ sides at both A and B level. This season cricket added to the games curriculum for girls in Year 4, with fixtures offered in Years 5 and 6 to support an extra-curricular club, as well as the ‘Big Bash’ festival in June Facilities Three squares. 15 artificial nets, with one astro given over to cricket in the summer term 90 | thecricketer.com

Club/county affiliation Dragon works closely with Oxfordshire CCC, and regularly host training sessions and practice for the county junior squads. A significant number of Dragons have represented Oxfordshire, both at county and development level, and one member of staff (Neil Pickup) was awarded the ECB’s South of England coach of the year award Brief history The school magazine began in 1889, one of the first from a preparatory school. Cricket

ELS T REE SCHOOL // FOREMARK E HALL

ELSTREE SCHOOL Woolhampton Reading Berkshire RG7 5TD

Established 1848 Pupils 250 Notable fixtures 100-plus across the six year groups – most notably versus Ludgrove, Summer Fields, Cheam and Lambrook Masters in charge James Morris (Berkshire CCC captain) and Ben Champkin Teams 17, teams ranging from Years 3-8 (6 XIs in the senior year groups) Girls’ cricket Yes at Home Farm (pre-prep) - festival in summer term Facilities Indoor sports hall (four nets with bowling machine), six outdoor artificial nets and seven grounds for match days Club/county affiliation Berkshire CCC

Brief history Elstree School was founded in 1848. With the outbreak of war in 1939, staff and 70 boys moved to Woolhampton House in Berkshire. This fine Georgian house, standing in a 150-acre estate of green parkland and lawns, proved so ideal that Woolhampton House became Elstree’s permanent home at the end of the War, where the school remains today. Owned and run by the Sanderson family until 1961, Elstree School was then incorporated as a limited company and is a registered charity. Cricket is the main sport of the summer term with up to 16 teams being fielded throughout the school on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

It is a wonderful sight to see the busy Elstree playing fields on a match day in the summer term.

Enthusiastic and knowledgeable coaches ensure that the boys and girls are given the opportunity to improve their own individual technique, as well as building a real

team ethos and spirit. Every child has at least two games sessions per week dedicated to cricket. Evening net sessions are also provided during the Lent term so as to ensure that the children are ready for the start of the season, together with holiday courses also run during February half-term, Easter Holidays and May half-term.

Cricketers of note Nick Gubbins

(Middlesex and England Lions), Archie MacLaren (Lancashire and England captain) Extras Absolutely beautiful grounds, used by Berkshire U11s.

Finest moments 2006 Winners of limited-overs Festival (Elstree, Ludgrove, Cheam & Wellesley House); 2007 winners of the Malvern College Eights; a superb game (and win) away at Ludgrove

FOREMARKE HALL

of prep school cricket grounds in the country, there have been many boys and girls who have gone on to play county age-group cricket for Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Yorkshire and Warwickshire. A few have passed on to play A-List and first-class cricket through the universities. James Sookias is with Warwickshire CCC Extras Outstanding facilities.

Offering modern dynamic cricket in a school with considerable history.

Headmaster Robert Relton plays for Derbyshire Over-50s Plans Looking at an InterForemarke and Repton worldwide tournament to be held at Desert Springs, Spain Best prospect Henry Geutjens (Notts Under-13s). The school has six boys and one girl playing cricket for counties, including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire

Repton Preparatory School Milton Derbyshire DE65 6EJ Established 1940 Pupils 440 Fixtures 1st XI has about 13 fixtures, and the school more than 70, against Nottingham High, Witham Hall, Bromsgrove, Prestfelde, Abberley Hall and Sedbergh Master in charge Anthony Hobson (Staffordshire CCC/MCC) Teams 11. nder-13 ABCD; U11AB, U10AB, Under 9AB Girls’ cricket It will be offered in the near future. They have a girl in Year 6 who plays in the U11A boys’ team. She has been selected as wicketkeeper by Derbyshire U11s Facilities 1st XI pitch, one Notts Sport turf artificial wicket and three further laid grass squares; three indoor nets; four new outdoor allweather nets Club/county affiliation Derbyshire CCC, Derbyshire CB Brief history The school was formed at The Cross in Repton and moved in 1947 to its current location, Foremarke Hall. Playing on one of the finest and most stately

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

HORRIS HILL Newtown Newbury Berkshire RG20 9DJ Website: www.horrishill.com Admissions: Lisa Lee-Smith registrar@horrishill.com Established 1888 Number of pupils 120 Fixtures 1st XI have 15 matches per summer. The school has 110 or more matches in total, and the most notable are against Twyford School and Pridwin College (South Africa). They also play staff and parents’ XIs Master in charge Nick Benwell (Hampshire CCC age groups & Shropshire CCC, Birmingham League for Wolverhampton, now plays for Falkland CC. Ex-director of cricket at Wrekin College) Teams 11 – U13ABCDE, U11ABCD, U9AB Facilities Four grass squares plus one superb, outdoor all-weather pitch. Two indoor nets, two grass nets, plus two portable nets for square practice and seven astro 92 | thecricketer.com

HORRIS HILL

nets. Evening nets are often packed Club/county affiliation Falkland CC, Hampshire Board Cricketers of note Douglas Jardine (Surrey & England captain, 1931– 1934), Max Woosnam (arguably England’s greatest sportsman), Ian Peebles (Middlesex & England), Tony Pawson (Oxford capt & Kent) Extras The school is proud to have a longstanding association with Nick Compton (England and Middlesex). Nick has devoted his time and expertise to the school and Horris Hill will be launching a Nick Compton four-day residential training camp in 2019. Horris Hill nurtures excellence in cricket by

developing young players to fulfil their potential and promoting participation at all levels. The enthusiasm for cricket is clear to see in both the coaches and pupils alike and the outstanding facilities provide an amazing cricket experience for all. The number of pupils at the school is kept small as it believes in nurturing individuals, and encouraging everyone to have a go. The school is proud of its stunning location. It has also made great efforts to improve facilities in recent times. A large new pavilion was built in 2016 and the school also now has a Quickscore LED scoreboard. Floodlit cricket

matches are held for the leavers each year on the main square, using a pink ball. Groups of boys train in the winter and summer at Falkland CC. In the winter the school runs an inter-school indoor league (Horris Hill IPL) in which players are auctioned in assembly, and many boys choose to come and watch if they are not involved, resulting in a loud but fun environment. The legend of Jardine and Bodyline have helped put the school on the map. Horris Hill, with one of the finest school wickets in the country, hosted many of Jim Swanton’s ‘Arabs’ matches Tours Annual trip to La Manga – the school usually takes about 24 boys on this trip. Tour to Dubai in the pipeline for 2019 Best prospects Barnaby TalbotWilliams (top-order batsman, Hants CCC) & Freddie Moore (opening bowler, Hants CCC).

They are hoping to go to Sherborne School and Cheltenham College respectively on sports scholarships Cultural cricketers Richard Adams (Watership Down), Max Hastings, Richard Noble, land-speed record holder, AG Macdonell, author of England, Their England (famous for its description of a village match)

HURLINGHAM SCHOOL // L AMBROOK

HURLINGHAM SCHOOL 122 Putney Bridge Road London SW15 2NQ

Established 1947 Number of pupils 340 Fixtures Between 50–60 in the summer term Cricket professional Amelia Martel (acting director of sport, ECB Level 2) Teams Y3 six teams, Y4 six, Y5 five teams, Y6 five Girls’ cricket The school was one

LAMBROOK Winkfield Row Nr Ascot Berkshire RG42 6LU Established 1860 Number of pupils 540, from 3 to 13 Fixtures 310 across 38 teams – 191 for boys, 119 for girls. Most notable fixture is Caldicott. Also Ludgrove, Summer Fields, Dragon, Moulsford Master in charge Warren Miller Teams 38 - 22 boys, 16 girls. Boys: five at under-13/12; four each at U11, U10, U8 and five at U9. Girls: four at U13/12; three each U11, U10, U9, U8 Girls’ cricket? It has been an additional activity for a few years

of the first in the area to introduce girls’ cricket and helped encourage other schools to follow suit by offering friendly, coaching matches Facilities Use of a local park for sports lessons which includes the use of a grass wicket and an artificial Club/county affiliation A lot of the staff are associated with Berkshire Cricket Board through doing their Level 2s with them Brief history Cricket has always

been part of the curriculum for the boys and has now become part of our girls’ curriculum as well

Plans More workshops for children to attend from Hurlingham School and other schools in the local area

but it replaced rounders in 2018 with full fixture list. Top girls (county) play in boys’ teams, but this will be reviewed as the quality of girls’ cricket improves. This first season of girls’ cricket saw a team playing kwik-cricket, with the U13A playing three hard-ball games Facilities Nine grounds, including excellent 1st XI Oval. Three have good turf wickets. Two turf nets, four indoor, three artificial.

Club/county affiliation A dozen or so represent Berkshire and a couple are involved with Surrey. Youngsters play at various local clubs including Royal Ascot, Maidenhead & Bray, Finchampstead, Eversley, Binfield Brief history Cricket has been played at Lambrook since the early

days. In the 1870s cricket was the most popular sport at the school although matches were played internally. The first competitive matches against local schools were played in the 1880s when Queen Victoria’s grandsons, Prince Christian Victor and Prince Albert were at Lambrook. Queen Victoria would watch. Cricket has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and continues to improve Plans The current drive is behind girls’ cricket and raising standards of playing while keeping all girls engaged and active. They hope to see girls winning more sports scholarships, with cricket a key aspect of this. Boys’ cricket has improved considerably over the

past few years. Winter training twice weekly with the chance to tour South Africa being a driving factor Cultural cricketers Giles Clarke (ex-ECB chairman and president).

Max Evans (Scotland rugby) Best prospect Edward Clark Tours Biennial trip to South Africa (Western Cape and KwaZuluNatal). Fixtures include Western Province Prep, Bishops Prep, Durban Prep and Clifton

Warren Miller Master in charge

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

LUDGROVE

LUDGROVE Wokingham Berkshire RG40 3AB Established 1892 Number of pupils 190 Fixtures more than 120 matches – notable rivals Summer Fields and Caldicott Master in charge of cricket?

Gabriel French (Flashmen CC) and Simon Loup (I Zingari and Free Forester) Teams 15 in total – 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, 5th XI, 6th XI, Colts A, Colts B, Colts C, U10ABC, U9ABC Facilities Eight grass nets, eight artificial (four outdoors, four indoors inside the sports complex. Eight cricket pitches and numerous practice wickets.

Two cricket pavilions. Jocelyn Galsworthy has painted the ground Club/county affiliation Hampshire and Surrey 94 | thecricketer.com

Brief history The school says it “lives, eats and breathe cricket”.

Arthur Dunn, their founder, was a Corinthian sportsman and a distinguished Eton Rambler. GO Smith, the next headmaster, played cricket for Surrey and Oxford.

After him head Frank Henley published, in 1924, The Boys’ Book of Cricket with the foreword by Sir Pelham Warner (who founded

The Cricketer). Alan Barber took over as headmaster in 1937. He captained Yorkshire CCC in 1929 and 1930. There have been many distinguished other cricketers on the staff since Cricketers of note Colin InglebyMackenzie (captain of Hampshire and president of MCC), Mike Griffith (captain of Sussex), RI Jefferson and PH Wilson

(Surrey), ARB Lumby (Dorset), RA Pyman (Somerset) Extras Spectacular grounds. Boys aware of the sporting heritage and play ‘stump cricket’ every day of the year come sun, rain, wind and snow Plans They tour South Africa every two years (next is in 2019) and aim to help less fortunate schools Cultural cricketers Bear Grylls Best prospect Charlie Hope

MILLFIELD PREP // MOULSFORD

MILLFIELD PREP Glastonbury Somerset BA6 8LD Established 1946 Number of pupils 442 boys and girls Notable fixtures Between 120 per year for boys and girls. They enter the two national cups.

Play Somerset, Gloucestershire, Dorset, Devon with the boys’ and girls’ teams. Also at boys’ level play Wiltshire, Cornwall, Oxfordshire, Pembrokeshire and

MOULSFORD Wallingford OX10 9HR Oxfordshire

Established 1961 Number of pupils 357 Notable fixtures Typically 11 blocks, with the 1st XI playing 15/16, and Colts A also playing in tournaments. Most notable is arguably Caldicott Director of sport James Springer.

Master in charge of 1st XI cricket Jaimie Noble.

Teams 27 (1st–7th XI, U11AD, U10 ABCD, U9 ABCDEF, U8 Facilities Four indoor nets, 12 outdoor astro nets, two outdoor astro wickets, five grass squares, 1st XI & U11A grounds overlooking the River Thames Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire CCC use their grounds for junior county fixtures. Pupils playing junior representative

Mid-Glamorgan Director of cricket David Beal Teams 27 boys and girls’. Boys – under-13 development squad plus ABC. U12 development squad plus ABC. U11 development squad plus ABC. U10 development squad plus AB, U9AB, U8AB. Girls: U13 development squad plus ABC, U12 development squad plus ABC. U11 development squad plus BC, under-10ABC Girls’ cricket Year 6, 7 and 8 girls’ cricket is their main summer sport, having games sessions and also fixtures on Wednesdays,

Saturdays and some Sundays.

Year 5 also play matches Facilities Four indoor nets, six outdoor nets, 10 pitches (eight grass and two artificial) Club/county affiliation Somerset CC, Hampshire CC Glastonbury CC plus local clubs Brief history Millfield Prep won national titles with the Bunbury Cup in 2004, 2006, 2014 and 2015. The Calypso in 1997, 2000.

Jet prep schools in 1997, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2015 and 2017. Prep T20 2009. Girls’ Lady Taverners indoor 2012 and 2016. U11 hardball 1998, 2001, 2005, 2008 and 2013 Cricketers of note Peter Denning, David Graveney, Jonathan Atkinson, Harvey Trump, Iain Fletcher, Piran Holloway, Aftab Habib, Jeremy Hallett, Wes Durston, Ben Hollioake, James Hildreth, Max Waller, Robin Lett, Ben Duckett, Daniel Bell- Drummond, Matt Hobden, Charlie Hartley, Cameron Steel, George Hankins Extras Cricket is the main sport in the summer term. Pupils play against county sides every Sunday. There are fixtures every Wednesday and Saturday. The

cricket for Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Gloucestershire Brief history Cricket has always been played at Moulsford, as one of the three major sports. In recent years, in line with the growth of the school, they have fielded more and more teams, with as many as 15 (Year 5 to 8) playing block fixtures.

They have a clear ethos of sport for all, with opportunities for every boy to play, enjoy and develop their cricket. Recent results have also been excellent Professionals Dan Housego (Middlesex CCC, Gloucestershire CCC, England U19), Jack Davies (Wellington College 1st XI captain, Middlesex 2nd XI & England U19) Finest moments Every boy in years 5–8 playing in a block fixture on certain, specific days. Housego (Moulsford old boy) making a century for Gloucestershire against South Africa in 2012. South Africa’s bowling attack contained Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Vernon Philander

Plans Looking at creating a sixth grass square (eight in total) Best prospect Oliver McConkey (current 1st XI vice-captain, wicketkeeper and No.3 batsman) Tours An annual 1st XI and Colts

school provides for all ages and ability with winter and summer training. Facilities are excellent.

The link with Somerset CCC enables a smooth transition for gifted players. Cricket starts young, with pre-prep pupils accessing the coaching from the director of cricket. Oneto-one lessons are available throughout the year and winter training starts first week back in autumn term Finest moments Between 2014–15 the U13 boys won three cups.

National titles: Bunbury Cup, Jet (RNCF) Cup and Somerset County Cup. Beating seven county sides in the season. Winning 26 out of 26 for the season Plans Installing six new nets.

Refurbishing indoor nets.

Another grass pitch. Introduce girls’ cricket as main summer sport to years 3, 4, and 5 Cultural cricketers Roland Rudd, Chris Robshaw, Richard and Simon Mantell Best prospect Dom Kelly (Hampshire CCC) Tours Looking to do trip to the Midlands area Millfield: p43 A early-season tour to Taunton, with two matches played, a visit to Somerset CCC and a variety of fun and social activities Extras Beautiful grounds overlooking the Thames

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS NEWLAND HOUSE SCHOOL Waldegrave Park Twickenham TW1 4TQ Established 1897 Number of pupils 470 Notable fixtures More than 100 including local tournaments, Middlesex Cup and matches versus touring sides. Hosted matches using adapted equipment as they have a player with severe visual impairment Master in charge Ian Bardgett Teams 25, under 9–13, boys and girls Girls’ cricket To all girls in Years 2-6, implementing Lydia Greenway’s ‘Cricket for Girls’ programme

NEWL AND HOUSE SCHOOL // NO T T INGHAM ACADEM Y

Facilities Multi-purpose allweather surface and four cricket nets on site at school. Newland House plays at NPL Teddington CC (three grass wickets and one astro) and Teddington Town CC in the idyllic Bushy Park, London’s second-largest park, watched by freely roaming red deer stags, the UK’s biggest indigenous land animal, and flocks of bright green ring-necked parakeets, now the most common bird in this part of south-west London Club/county affiliation Middlesex Newland House was founded in Twickenham in 1897 and moved to its current site in Waldegrave Park more than 70 years ago. Cricket was played at Imperial College Ground, Udney Park, until its sale in 2015.

Since then cricket is played at NPL

CC and Teddington Town CC in nearby Bushy Park. In matches since 2001, 15 centuries and 234 halfcenturies have been scored by cricketers at the school. They have reached the final of the U13 Middlesex Cup several times, most recently in 2017, and were winners in 2012. They entered the U12 Middlesex Cup (Bunbury Cup) for the first time in 2018 and were losing finalists, beating St Benedict’s in the semis Extras Mike Gatting visited the school recently. The school first went to Kenya in 2002 and have toured to a long-haul destination

every year since 2005. They make donations, including educational and cricket equipment, to schools in South Africa. They also introduced children to cricket and donated equipment during a school trip to northern France in 2017

Brief history In six years the amount of cricket played on a daily basis has grown year on year.

Cricket is part of the school culture.

Trials are well attended by both girls and boys and Nottingham Academy compete well each year despite the lack of facilities that more affluent schools may have Future plans To continue to form a strong link with Notts CCC. The school plans to hold inter-mural cricket competitions annually to give as many children as possible the chance to play competitively Best prospect Devesh Upreti couldn’t love the game anymore.

He comes into school each day with his cricket bat and plays at every possible opportunity. He has recently joined a local side and is now playing a range of formats

Finest moments on the field Reaching the semi-final of the Nottinghamshire County Cup with a very inexperienced girls’ team in 2014 and losing narrowly off the final ball. A real underdog story Extras Nottingham Academy is one of the largest state primary schools in the UK and cricket is a large part of what makes up the children’s social time at school. If you visited during any lunchtime you would see a a huge number of children playing Kwik Cricket

Andrew Staszkiewicz Master in charge

NOTTINGHAM ACADEMY Ransom Road Campus Ransom Drive Nottingham NG3 5LR Established 2009 (formerly Jessie Boot Primary School) Number of pupils 900-plus Notable fixtures Nottingham Academy have between 24 and 40 fixtures per year. The most notable fixtures come as part of entry into the regional city cup, with a very successful record of progress past this stage and challenging in the county cup finals day Master in charge Andrew Staszkiewicz Teams Five Girls’ cricket The school offers 96 | thecricketer.com

girls’ cricket and actively promotes it among all girls. There is a Year 4/5 team and Year 6 team. Year 6 challenge strongly in the Notts Kwik Cricket competition on an annual basis. Recently Saba Mehmood was selected for a county age-group side (U14) who began playing cricket competitively at the school Club/county affiliation Notts and Caythorpe CC Facilities An indoor sports hall can be used during winter. They also have an outdoor artificial pitch. The biggest strength as a city school is maximising the minimal space to provide cricket to as many pupils on a regular basis as possible. Despite lack of space cricket makes up a huge part of children’s playtimes and lunchtimes

ORLE Y FARM SCHOOL // PACK WOOD HAUGH

ORLEY FARM SCHOOL South Hill Avenue Harrow on the Hill Middlesex HA1 3NU Established 1850 Number of pupils 500 Notable fixtures In excess of 50, not necessarily notable but against several senior schools such as

PACKWOOD HAUGH Park Bank Shrewsbury SY4 1HX

Established 1892 Number of pupils 203 Notable fixtures Prestfelde among 12 fixtures Master in charge Paul Phillips Cricket professional Darrell Corfield Teams Five U13, four U11, two U9 Girls’ cricket One of the first prep schools in Shropshire to have girls’ cricket as a major sport. Two teams at U13, two at U11, one at U9, plus mixed cricket teams. U13 girls were national runners-up in the 2016 Lady Taverners National Indoor Cricket Competition Club/county affiliation Shropshire Facilities Four indoor nets, four outdoor artificial nets, six grass nets, six grounds (five turf and one artificial) plus 4 Kwik Cricket pitches

Merchant Taylors’ Northwood and John Lyon. Two prep schools Ten10 tournaments (at U13 and U11 levels) since 2007 Master in charge Stephen Bloom Teams 13 teams in total this season – 1st XI, 2nd XI and 3rd XI (Years 7 and 8); Colts ABCD (Years 5 and 6); U9 ABC (Year 4), U8 ABC (Year 3) Girls’ cricket Two years of girls’ cricket with fixtures in Years 3-6 Club/county affiliation Middlesex,

Brief history Cricket has been played at Packwood since the school’s earliest days. The school’s greatest cricketer arrived from South Africa in 1909. JD WyattSmith was an outstanding player, averaging more than 100 every season. Also a very fast bowler, in one match he took 10 for 0, including one wicket when a flying bail was caught by a long-stop. He held the junior record for throwing the cricket ball (104 yards). Cricket is now the principal summer sport for both boys and girls Cricketers of note Tim Lamb (Middlesex and Northamptonshire), also a past chief executive of the ECB Future plans A new artificial pitch in 2017 and a plan to add another to one of the existing squares in the next few years. On a Monday evening Packwood estimate that over 50 boys and girls go over to Knockin and Kinnerley CC for coaching after cricket sessions Best prospect George Hughes, current 1st XI captain – a wicketkeeper/opening batsman

Hertfordshire, Harrow CC, Harrow St Mary’s CC Facilities Small indoor net in school gym with bowling machine, two outdoor nets and two main squares, full-sized astro as well as extensive grounds for further use of the game (less formal). The school also owns Harrow CC, where it has use of three outdoor nets and one of their squares Brief history Orley Farm cricket has a wonderful reputation on the circuit and the main square is immaculately maintained. In the pavilion there are commemorative bats which date to 1943 of all of the cricket 1st XIs in that time. They also have end-of-season 1st XI v 1st XI Fathers and Colts (U11) A v Colts A Fathers matches which include a BBQ and presentation to the boys Future plans Orley Farm plan to have a new sports centre with classrooms, offices and changing facilities. This would enable several indoor full-length nets. Links are growing with Harrow CC enabling more boys and girls to be playing cricket outside of the school season Best prospect Rahul Rajkumar

who represents Shropshire U13 and is moving on to Shrewsbury School Finest moments on the field National final U11 Hardball finals day at Oakham; U13 regional final of the Bunbury Cup (2018).

U13 girls reaching finals of the Lady Taverners National Indoor

(Year 5) Finest moments on the field Orley Farm got to the National JET Cricket Cup Finals Day on two occasions in 1993 and 2008 (finishing third on both occasions) Extras Sir Garfield Sobers visited once and took an assembly, and Gordon Greenidge was here for a coaching session with the 1st XI. A Barbados cricket tour (April 2018) and proposed Barbados tour in 2021

Stephen Bloom Master in charge of cricket

Cricket Competition three years running 2014, 2015 and 2016 and runners-up in 2016. U13s reaching the JET Cup finals day at St Edward’s School, Oxford Cultural cricketers Rev Mark Rylands, Bishop of Shrewsbury – captain of the Church of England cricket team

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

PAPPLEWICK SCHOOL

PAPPLEWICK SCHOOL Windsor Road Ascot Berkshire SL5 7LH Established 1947 Number of pupils 215 Notable fixtures 150 fixtures in summer term with 14 1st XI fixtures.

Lambrook is the local derby Master in charge Harry Paget Teams 20 – U7ABC, U8ABC, U9ABC, U10ABC, U11ABC, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th XIs Club/county affiliation Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire Facilities Four indoor nets, a sports hall, an astroturf, four pitches outside and eight outdoor nets, two bowling machines Future plans Papplewick are looking to encourage pupils towards local clubs Best prospect Walter Nutter

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hitting a century aged nine shows precocious ability and focus Finest moments on the field The unbeaten stand of 206 in 25 overs against Woodcote House from the openers, with captain Wilf La Fontaine Jackson hitting an all-run four to get to 100 not out off the last ball of the innings Extras While Papplewick have some excellent local talent, they don’t overlook those who haven’t played before. Boys who had never even heard of cricket, from all over the world, make it into the 1st XI, from Nigeria, Russia, Spain, South Korea and Japan. Boys from Thailand and Malaysia are improving fast and gunning for a place next year. The wickets are some of the best on the circuit thanks to the hard work of Danny Mills, the head groundsman Cultural cricketers James Haskell (England rugby and Northampton) went on the popular biennial tour of South Africa once

The Manor, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham, Surrey KT11 3PX • Established: 1879 • Number of pupils: 271 • Brief history: Cricket has been a major part of school life at Parkside since 1879.

We enjoy a full fixture list plus house cricket and single wicket competitions, as well as overseas tours.

• Notable Fixtures: Our most notable fixtures are against teams in the West Indies during our Caribbean Cricket Tours.

• Pro: Tim Handel, Parkside Cricket Academy • 1st XI Coach: Nick Procter • M.i.C. Cricket: Donovan Hall and Danny Cox. • Teams: U13 – 5, U11 – 3, U10 – 4, U9 – 3, U8 – 3 • Every boy represents the school at cricket each summer.

• Facilities: Parkside’s cricket fields are vast and beautiful a 3 Cricket squares with large outfields, plus 2 smaller cricket pitches, each with a single strip. Brand new pavilion overlooking a very flat 1st XI pitch, plus electronic scoreboard.

• Club County affiliation: Surrey County Cricket Club.

• Cricketers of note • Daniel Douthwaite – Surrey Academy and Surrey 2nd XI, currently with Gloucestershire 2nd XI • Sonny Cott represented Ireland Under 19 (2015) • Ollie Pope – England Under 19 and Surrey 1st XI contracted in 2016 • Amar Virdi – England Under 19 , Surrey 1st Team contracted in 2016 • Alex Milton – contracted with Worcestershire 2nd XI 2017.

• Best prospect: Hasaan Dahir (year 6) is an outstanding Surrey U12 cricketer.

• Finest moment on the field: Parkside have won the Surrey Prep Schools Cup many times, but winning the Under 11 National Hard-ball Cup at Millfield School in 2006 and 2008 are the best achievements to date.

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

PARKSIDE SCHOOL The Manor Stoke d’Abernon Cobham Surrey KT11 3PX Established 1879 Number of pupils 190 Notable fixtures Cumnor House Master in charge Donovan Hall and Danny Cox Parkside Professional Cricket Coach Tim Handel Teams Five U13, three U11, four U10, three U9 and three U8. Eight fixtures at Years 6, 7 and 8 Club/county affiliation Surrey, Stoke d’Abernon CC Facilities Three squares with large outfields, two smaller cricket pitches, each with a single strip.

Brand new pavilion overlooking a very good 1st XI pitch, plus electronic scoreboard. Four 100 | thecricketer.com

PARKSIDE SCHOOL

outdoor astro nets, three indoor nets, two bowling machines and a catching cradle Brief history Cricket has been a major part of school life at Parkside since 1879. Parkside enjoys a full fixture list as house cricket and single-wicket competitions, as well as overseas tours. The school is competitive, and totally inclusive and there is a sincere love of the game, which is evident at play time when staff can be found enjoying little games of cricket with the boys Cricketers of note Daniel Douthwaite (Surrey Academy and Surrey 2nd XI, currently with Gloucestershire 2nd XI), Sonny Cott (Ireland Under-19). The Star Academy at Parkside School has produced several professional cricketers who were not actually pupils, but were coached at the school by Lahiri since U9s. These include Ryan Patel, Ollie Pope and Amar Virdi (all of Surrey) and Alex

Milton (Worcestershire) Future plans Parkside enjoy excellent links with the local club, but the school are planning to start U10 and U11 mini-tours to St Edward’s, Oxford whereby teams enjoy two days of cricket including a match and a tournament with Oxford schools and coaching sessions run by the excellent coaches at St Edward’s Finest moments on the field Parkside have won the Surrey Prep Schools Cup many times, but winning the Under 11 National Hardball Cup at Millfield School in 2006 and 2008 are the best achievements to date Extras The cricket fields are vast and beautiful for such a small prep school, and every boy represents the school at cricket each summer.

The relationship that Parkside has with the Star Academy and Stoke d’Abernon CC means that there is cricket at the school constantly,

even in the winter, there is indoor coaching every evening and weekend. Young elite cricketers from all over the county travel to Parkside to receive coaching form Sid Lahiri’s Academy Cultural cricketers James Morrison is a multiple winner on golf’s European Tour. As a boy, he was an exceptional cricketer, captaining Parkside’s 1st XI in 1998, a season in which he amassed 804 runs. He went on to Reed’s, where he continued to score thousands of runs, which lead to him being voted as the Wisden Young Cricketer of the Year

Tim Handel Parkside Professional Cricket Coach

ROK EBY SCHOOL

ROKEBY SCHOOL George Road Kingston upon Thames Surrey KT2 7PB Established 1877. Moved from Wimbledon to Kingston in 1965 Number of pupils 400 Notable fixtures Shrewsbury House, Parkside, Downsend and Danes Hill. Having been on three tours to Sri Lanka, Rokeby are one of the few schools to have played The Foundation of Goodness Academy on three occasions.

However the most notable of all is the annual block fixture with Cranmore, East Horsley where 24 matches take place over a week.

The schools have been contesting for The Phillips Travers Trophy for 12 years although the fixture itself has been running for 50 years. It is one of the last few declaration matches at prep-school level Master in charge Rob Williams Cricket professional Andy Gannaway Teams 44, ranging from the U6G XI to the 1st XI. Each side has at least two fixtures. About 160 matches per season Girls’ cricket Rokeby is an all-boys prep, but has taken great pleasure in welcoming Holy Cross Girls Preparatory School, Kingston to the sports grounds for a whole Year 3 (96 children) two-hour coaching session. This proved beneficial to both the girls (and boys) in helping Holy Cross transition from

rounders to cricket as their major summer-term sport as of 2018 Club/county affiliation Surrey, Wimbledon, Spencer, Sunbury, Esher, Teddington, Hampton Wick, NPL Teddington and Malden Wanderers. Before buying RSG in 2005 the school played its cricket at Malden Wanderers and enjoyed the wonderful batting pitches for which the club was synonymous Facilities A multi-purpose hall is used during the winter months and three astroturf nets based at the school site. The nets and astroturf is used for training through the latter part of the spring term and entire summer term. Pre-school training five days a week. Four cricket squares, three of which have an astroturf pitch. During the course of a normal week Rokeby have eight separate games sessions (some of which would be interschool matches) that take place at RSG. Fixtures are played on Saturdays throughout the season Brief history It was not until the school reached an agreement with Malden Wanderers in 1985 that cricket really took off. Since then cricket has grown to become the most successful sport. Numerous competitions have been won including the Charterhouse Sixes by the U10s, The Wellington College Sixes (on three occasions) by the U11s and The Rokeby Sixes (on five occasions) by the 1st XI. The 1st XI have won the Surrey Prep Schools Cup on three occasions and the Surrey Schools Cricket Association Cup twice. The U11As

have won the SPS Cup on two occasions and the SSCA Cup once.

In addition they have reached the national finals of the ESCA eight-a-side competition on three occasions (in the last eight years).

The 2011 team were crowned national champions, defeating Millfield in the semi-finals and Sedbergh in the final. Rokeby has a great touring tradition, with around 150 boys going away on tour. Since then Rokeby have toured South Africa twice more, Antigua in 2012 and Sri Lanka in 2014, 2016 and in spring 2018. There have also been long weekend tours to Yorkshire Cricketers of note Joe Porter (Surrey & British Universities) has most of Rokeby’s batting records.

Billy Sewell is currently in the England Player Pathway squad having played at the Bunbury Festival in 2016 and 2017 Best prospect Luke Webster, the

1st XI captain, scored more 600 runs in 2018, took 25 wickets and held 20 catches. The runs and catches aggregates put him in second place (in both categories) for a season since accurate records have been kept (1980).

He is currently in the Surrey U13 squad and has represented the county since nine. He moves onto Cranleigh School with a cricket (and academic) scholarship Future plans New scoreboards and an honours board. Last year they introduced a Cricketer of the Week for each year group from Reception to Year 8 Finest moments on the field The 2011 U11s 8-a-side team won the national title from an original entry list of over 330 schools. The team played 11 matches in total winning all 11. The three-run win over Millfield in the semi-final was, probably, the single most memorable match Extras Williams remembers being invited up to the PE Office at Donhead to be shown a framed scorecard from the early 1970s of Donhead dismissing Rokeby at U11 level for 0! England Deaf and Surrey Deaf have played on the ground Cultural cricketers Oliver Reed and Richard Briers. Reed was a good cricketer. He enjoyed watching and supporting (usually from the comfort of a pavilion bar) Rob Williams Master in charge of Cricket Andy Gannaway Cricket Professional thecricketer.com | 101

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS SALISBURY CATHEDRAL SCHOOL 1 The Close Salisbury Wiltshire SP1 2EQ

Established 1091 Number of pupils 250 Director of sport James Kaminski Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U11A, U10A, U9 and U8 (Boys) 1st, 2nd, U11A, U11B, U10A, U10B, U9 and U8 (Girls) Girls’ cricket Is really beginning to develop and the school are going to make it the main summer term sport for girls next year. Historically the school has played it alongside rounders, but cricket is far more popular now Club/county affiliation Wiltshire,

SHERBORNE PREP SCHOOL Acreman Street Sherborne Dorset DT9 3NY Established 1858 Number of pupils 260 Notable fixtures Port Regis, Hazlegrove, King’s Hall Cricket professional Matt Pardoe (Worcestershire) is seconded from the senior school Teams Nine boys teams and Sherborne Prep have recently

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SALISBURY CAT HEDERAL SCHOOL // SHERBORNE PREP SCHOOL

Hampshire, South Wiltshire CC Facilities Three pitches, with the historic Salisbury Cathedral spire providing a glorious setting, three grass nets, three astroturf pitches and an indoor gym facility.

Brief history Despite the strong musical background, sport is very much at the heart of the school.

Salisbury Cathedral School is set in a glorious setting and arguably one of the best places to play prep cricket, with the cathedral providing a stunning backdrop.

Founded in 1091, the school is steeped in history and cricket has been played for 927 years. Cricket is started at Reception through to Year 8 allowing pupils the chance to hone their skills at the earliest possible opportunity Future plans There are plans to improve the astroturf. Growth in girls’ cricket and making it the main

summer sport next year. Outreach to primary schools and to offer bursaries and sport scholarships Cultural cricketers Conservative MPs Robert Key and Michael Mates

started fielding mixed boys and girls, U8 and U9 teams. U10–U13 teams play 10 or 11 games, the U8– U9s play seven or eight Girls’ cricket Eight girls teams, including mixed cricket at the bottom of the school Club/county affiliation Dorset, Sherborne CC and Compton House CC Facilities Use of the sports hall throughout winter. Five pitches and three grass nets at school, and also use 10 nets at Sherborne Boys’ School and play one home game a week there. The 1st XI are fortunate to be able to use the The Upper, the (main square), at Sherborne Boys

for their home games Cricketers of note No professional cricketers alas in recent times, though Ralph Dorey came close.

Last mention of his cricketing abilities was of him hitting the winning six over long on in the West Indies playing for a representative side. He regularly hit sixes out of the Lower Paddock and down the road or on to the flat roof of Westcott House (International College) Future plans In the process of redeveloping the sports hall and will benefit from a brand-new sports hall at the senior school. They will be able to host two indoor cricket

James Kaminski Director of sport

games simultaneously in their newbuild, and so the prep are hoping to have a winter programme of indoor cricket implemented in the next few years. A new bay of astroturf wickets is also in the pipeline Finest moment on the field Alex Cochrane-Dyet scored a doublehundred on the Lower Paddock a few summers ago and Dorey asked the then 1st XI coach if they could go and watch Somerset play if they knocked off the Pyrland Hall (now King’s Hall) total of 170-plus in under an hour. He did and they did!

Extras The headmaster is former Somerset and Devon player Nick Folland. The school were fortunate to also have Richard Pyman (Dorset and Cambridge Blue) as a Latin master and cricket coach. Laura Harper (England Women) works with junior players alongside several other keen staff including Jeremy Acton who has coached prep 1st XI cricket and Huw Thomas who has worked with Senior 1st XI’s at Blundell’s and Glenalmond.

Sherborne also provide regular cricket for every pupil, boy or girl Cultural cricketers On one notable occasion the Rev Andrew Wingfield Digby, one time Chaplain to the England team, conducted a service in the Boys’ School Chapel for the prep which involved him bowling a cricket ball down the aisle to one of the boys Sherbourne School: p56

shrewsbury house school // sprat t on hall

SHREWSBURY HOUSE SCHOOL 107 Ditton Road Surbiton Surrey KT6 6RL Established 1865 Number of pupils 335 Notable fixtures 150 fixtures during the eight-week summer term, including Whitgift, Trinity, St Paul’s, King’s College Wimbledon and Danes Hill.

The school also competes in a number of tournaments hosted

by Winchester, Tonbridge, Wellington, Harrow, St Paul’s, Reed’s and Charterhouse Master in charge Tom Eaves Teams Year 6 ABCDE; Year 5 ABCDE; Year 4 ABCDE; Year 3 ABCDEF Club/county affiliation Surrey, Wimbledon CC (who use the ground in summer), Chessington CC (who use indoor nets), Maori Oxshott CC (use the sports fields) Facilities Four indoor nets on site and two outdoor nets. A 4G site at school. At the sports ground (a five-minute drive down the road) five outdoor nets and another main field Brief history Cricket has been played there since at least 1897.

The first inter-school match was played in June 1897 against Sydenham School. 1903 saw the first unbeaten season when the 1st XI won all eight fixtures.

During World War Two, when half of the school moved to Devon, the ‘two schools’ played against each other. Cricket

continued to grow at the school and one of the most crushing victories came in 1986 when SHS scored 130 for 4 against Rokeby and then bowled them out for 11. Cricket is enjoying unprecedented success Best prospect Josh Bellamy – a hard hitting allrounder. He also opens the bowling (quickly), moving the ball away from the right-handers Future plans Exciting plans to construct a new pavilion on the sports grounds. This contemporary design will also reflect the school’s proud cricketing history and will include traditional aspects and links to the past. St Lucia tour in 2019. The school have toured the Caribbean every other year since 2007. On the last two trips the school took 25 pupils. Last year the school presented a £7,000 cheque to Holy Family Children’s Home in St Lucia Finest moments on the field Winning Winchester College U12 event in 2017 and 2018 Extras In 1899, an old boy, Claude Jupp, played for Surbiton CC against MCC and was caught off the bowling of the famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The school hosts a Primary Festival of Sport for local primary schools where we provide an introduction to cricket for the boys and girls of the local schools. An optional cricket camp during the Easter holidays attracted more than 150 boys in 2018 Cultural cricketers Lord MacLaurin (ECB chairman 1997–02 and outgoing MCC president), Sir Stirling Moss (F1)

SPRATTON HALL Smith Street Spratton Northampton NN6 8HP Established 1951 Number of pupils 383 Notable fixtures Approximately 90 boys’ fixtures and 50 girls’ fixtures.

Maidwell Hall, Bilton Grange, Winchester House, Oundle and Oakham Master in charge Gareth Barnard and Sarah Blason Teams 23 teams over age groups Year 4 to Year 8 so 8–13 years old Girls’ cricket Last year was the first that cricket was the major summer sport for girls. Spratton have 11 teams playing around 50 matches with a softball and bat. There are plans to move to the hard ball as soon as possible for the older girls.

The girls’ start playing cricket in Year 2 when they are aged six and start matches in Year 4 Club/county affiliation Northants and Leicestershire Facilities 12 grass wickets, two on the hockey astro, three artificial, nine grass nets and four artificial all located on a beautiful 50-acre site in the rolling countryside

Brief history Boys’ cricket has been played since 1951. Cricket is played in all age groups from Years 2 to 8. Competitive matches start in Year 4 where the pupils enjoy pairs cricket and this continues on to the hardball. The school has four coaches and participates on a tough circuit. Spratton always produces county players through the ages. The boys compete in cricket festivals across the age groups. The 1st XI go on tour to Norfolk. Spratton Hall host touring teams too Recent cricketers of note Rob White (Northants) Best prospect Toby Cousins, Florence Hooper and Calum Renshaw Future plans New indoor nets in the sports hall. Spratton Hall also intend to work with local schools to allow them to use facilities and join in with the coaching. More T20. Festivals for C/D teams to encourage cricket for all Finest moment on the field The 1st Xl’s unbeaten season in 2017, when they won 10 out of 10 matches Cultural cricketers Tenniel Evans (actor), Mark Haddon (author), Michael Ellis (MP) and Harry Mallinder (Northampton Saints & England rugby squad) thecricketer.com | 103

TOP 50 PREP SCHOOLS CRICKET

A GUIDE 2019

Outstanding opportunities for every child

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S T ANDREW’S PREP, E AS T BOURNE // S T FAI T H’S SCHOOL

ST ANDREW’S PREP, EASTBOURNE Mead Eastbourne East Sussex BN20 7RP Established 1877 Number of pupils 260 Notable fixtures 80 fixtures Master in charge Mark Tomsett Teams 14 boys and six girls Girls’ cricket Two girls in the 1st XI and second half of the summer term the girls focus on cricket Club/county affiliation Sussex

ST FAITH’S SCHOOL Trumpington Road Cambridge CB2 8AG Established 1884 Number of pupils 535 Notable fixtures Bedford, Culford, Felsted, Bishop’s Stortford, New Hall, The Perse, St John’s, King’s College School, Stamford, Wellingborough, Gresham’s, Holmwood House Master in charge John Welch

Facilities Four indoor nets and five grounds Best prospect Alfie Hunter Future plans Tours to Dubai or Spain. One-to-one coaching, increase girls participation, build on existing provision and relationships with clubs, links with Eastbourne College and facilities Finest moment on the field Winning Sussex County Cup

Mark Tomsett Master in charge of cricket

Teams U12/U13 (mixed) four boys, four girls; U11 three boys, four girls; U10 four boys, four girls; U9 four boys, four girls; U8 four boys, four girls Club/county affiliation The school is affiliated to many clubs as it has a huge number of children playing across a wide area. Cambridge CC train at the school and First Choice Coaching Cricket Company use the facilities for their courses. St Faith’s tend to make up around 20–50 per cent of most Cambridgeshire age-group teams. A number of Old

Fidelians who have gone on to play for the full Cambridgeshire side Facilities 10 outdoor nets, four grass and six all-weather, two indoor, eight Kwik Cricket pitches, four grass wickets, sports hall Brief history Ranjitsinhji came to the school to acclimatise before heading on to Cambridge. From this point onwards cricket has always been held in very high regard Cricketers of note Justin Benson (Ireland) Best prospect Edward Staveley Future plans A mentoring

programme, so that any pupil who wishes to develop their game can have a particular time to see a member of staff. This can involve finding local clubs if appropriate. A member of staff has hours assigned in their timetable specifically for video analysis. The school is hiring out facilities to clubs Finest moment on the field Unbeaten in 2009 in South Africa Cultural cricketers Sir Christopher Cockerell (inventor of the hovercraft), John Maynard Keynes, Tom Williams and Alastair BruceBall (BBC sport presenters), Prof David Thouless (Nobel Prize winner, Physics), John Storey (Olympic rower), Alex Goode (England rugby)

John Welch Master in charge of cricket thecricketer.com | 105

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

S T HUGH’S SCHOOL, OXFORDSHIRE // S T JOHN’S SCHOOL, NORT HWOOD

ST HUGH’S SCHOOL, OXFORDSHIRE Carswell Manor Faringdon Oxfordshire SN7 8PT Established 1906 Number of pupils 350 Notable fixtures 80–90 across all age groups, with a local derby against Pinewood Master in charge Giles Blanchard Teams Two U8, U9, four U10 and U11, four U12 and U13 Girls’ cricket U8 to U13 Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire, Oxford Downs CC, Challow & Childrey CC, Buscot CC

ST JOHN’S SCHOOL, NORTHWOOD

company bought St John’s from Norman and with the change of ownership came a change of governance Best prospect Shivam Sagani Future plans A new doublestorey sports hall which will include four new indoor nets Extras Having 35 acres of grounds in north-west London and being closely linked to Merchant Taylors’, the senior school with close links with Middlesex CCC. With the school being very multicultural the enthusiasm for cricket is massive.

West Indies great Sir Viv Richards came in to do some coaching

Potter Street Hill Northwood Middlesex HA 6 3QY Established 1920 Number of pupils 350 Notable fixtures 75, including Caldicott, St John’s Beaumont and The Beacon Master in charge John Pawson Cricket professional Shaun O’Brien Teams U13ABCD, U11ABC, U10ABCD, U9ABCD, U8ABCD Club/county affiliation Middlesex, Eastcote CC, Northwood CC and Harrow CC Facilities Three wickets, two grass wickets, one artificial wicket, four outdoor nets, one sports hall Brief history St John’s was founded in 1920 by Claude Norman. The first classroom was a room in the vicarage of St John’s Church, Pinner – from where the school takes its name – and the class of 1920 contained just five boys, two of which were sons of the vicar. A growing school roll quickly led to a move to ‘The Briary’ in Moss Lane, Pinner and then, in 1927, round the corner to Barrow Point House in Paines

106 | thecricketer.com

and Faringdon CC Facilities Four indoor nets recently refurbished in 2018, two outdoor astro nets, two astro wickets, three single grass wickets, one main 1st XI square (11 wickets) Best prospect Zach Wickens Future plans Every two years the school tours Barbados. Last year 35 boys went on a 15-match tour.

Raised £3,500 for Sport For Life International, which operates at Kensington Oval providing coaching and core subjects for youngsters Finest moments on the field Two openers both scoring hundreds.

Setting a school record of a 224-run opening stand. Followed by 2018’s opening pair raising 146 against Pinewood which led to victory

Lane. In 1930 Barrow Point House burnt down apparently due to an electrical fire. The property was rebuilt and was St John’s home for the next 40 years.

The Worshipful Company of

Merchant Taylors, owners of the Merchant Taylors’ School, was already familiar with St John’s having accepted a large portion of leavers in a relationship that flourishes to this day. The

Viv Richards did some coaching at St John’s, Northwood last year

S T MARY ’S SCHOOL, MELROSE

ST MARY’S SCHOOL, MELROSE Abbey Park Melrose TD6 9LN Established 1895 Number of pupils 163 Notable fixtures A full calendar of fixtures, from 1st XI through to U9B Kwik Cricket. The oldest fixture is against Merchiston Castle School Master in charge Ian Purvis Teams 1st and 2nd XI, U11A & U11B XIs and U9A & U9B Girls’ cricket Not offered as an option due to the number of girls available. However, girls have played for the school and are actively encouraged into the nets during break times Club/county affiliation Scotland.

A number of boys who play club

cricket for border towns and clubs such as Melrose, Selkirk, Kelso, Galashiels, St Boswell’s, Manderston CC, the Borderers CC and Tillside CC. Some also travel to Edinburgh to training with The Grange and Eastern Knights Facilities One U13 practice wicket and a match strip, two U11 practice wickets and two match strips, two U9 wickets, four grass nets, one all-weather net, one bowling machine and eight very enthusiastic coaches Brief history The first recorded cricket match at St Mary’s was in 1896 and cricket still thrives today.

The school trains regularly during the summer weeks, offers winter nets where possible, and plays a wide variety of schools and clubs, all during which we hope to ignite a flame for the sport that will continue to burn in the children’s hearts long after leaving St Mary’s

Cricketers of note Brendon McKerchar (1995) went on to represent Scotland at the U21 World Cup in New Zealand in 2005 and member of Oxford MCC Cricket Academy Best prospect Freddie Huddleston Future plans At St Mary’s one of the benefits of being a flexi and weekly boarding school, is that children can represent their local clubs in the evenings and at weekends, in all sports, not just cricket. Evening fixtures with local clubs (Manderston CC, Galashiels CC, Tillside CC) present opportunities for local children to play cricket on our fabulous ground and for friendships to be built and nurtured. A new sports hall is on the horizon and the school is constantly looking to keep the facilities fresh and to inspire

the next generation. The school would also like to see girls cricket offered as an option in years to come Finest moments on the field Winning the Glenalmond Cricket Sixes competition in 2016, captain Freddie Huddleston winning a cricket scholarship, then go on to score 106 not out in his next match, Sammy Richards took five wickets in five balls, each bowled Extras The 1st XI wicket is located in what is one of the most picturesque settings on the circuit.

With a dedicated team who lovingly prepare the wicket week in, week out and with the Eildon Hills as a backdrop, the location undoubtedly sets St Mary’s apart.

Match teas are also a highlight. In fact so good that they featured in Jordan Chatt’s book Cricket Teas Around the World

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TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS ST OLAVE’S SCHOOL St Olave’s School office St Peter’s School York YO30 6AB Established 1876 Number of pupils 600 Head of cricket Gareth Sharp Cricket professional David Foster Teams U9-U11 ABC, U12-U13 AB Girls’ cricket In its infancy, but 2019 will see changes to the Junior Girls Games Programme.

The school had the Yorkshire Diamonds Kia Super League team with it in 2018 as the start of what could be a long partnership to

SUMMER FIELDS SCHOOL Mayfield Road Oxford OX2 7EN Established 1864 Number of pupils 235–240 Notable fixtures 145 with eight senior teams. For almost 120 years Summer Fields v Horris Hill was a real grudge match, with Douglas Jardine leaving the field in tears when Horris Hill could only draw in 1914 (though he did have Gubby Allen lbw for 2). The Dragon, Caldicott, Stowe Director of sport Joe Porter (Oxford MCCU) Master in charge Oliver Bishop Teams 19 with eight senior teams (Years 7 and 8 combined), four U11 teams, four U10 and three U9 Girls’ cricket The school has recently starting hosting home matches for Oxford High School Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire

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S T OL AVE’S SCHOOL // SUMMER FIELDS SCHOOL

forge the way for girls’ prep school cricket in the north Club/county affiliation Yorkshire and York CC Facilities St Olave’s share facilities with its senior school, St Peter’s School, York. Two sports halls, four bowling machines, 10 artificial nets, six grass nets, four cricket ground, four mobile batting cages, ECB Level 2 and 3 coaches in the school Finest moments on the field IAPS U13 Cricket Champions 2018 (formerly the JET Cup) winning the final by 55 runs. St Olave’s also won it in 2011 and were runners-up in 2010. The U12 Super 8s tournament was established by the school in 2013

Facilities Five indoor nets, five artificial and six grass outdoor nets and nine pitches (at full capacity) on a 70-acre site, a bowling machine Brief history That cricket, along with Classics and Chapel, was long considered one of the three great pillars of the school, says something of its importance at Summer Fields, and the game has been played here since the 1870s with fixtures against schools such as Cothill and The Dragon that remain on the fixture list today Cricketers of note Allen (Middlesex & England, president of MCC), John Barclay (Sussex, president of MCC), Mark Faber (Oxford University & Sussex) Best prospect Ibtisam Azhar, son of current Pakistan opening batsman Azhar Ali, is a devastating batsman (in 2018 scoring 176 not out against Ludgrove and 105 not out against the Dragon) and a leg-spinner with great potential currently in the U10s. Jago Edsberg is a hugely talented keeper who took 30-plus

and its concepts have attracted interest from ECB and IAPS as to forming new ways of playing and generating fresh and exciting interest in prep and junior school

dismissals in 2018 for the U11s Future plans For the last five years the school has run an internal T20, complete with music, pink balls, and flashing stumps. The matches have also been live-streamed by pupils who run the video production unit. As of 2019 boys will play cricket all year, making use of the school’s excellent indoor facilities Finest moments on the field Summer Fields is one of a few prep schools to have had the privilege of playing MCC when in 2014, to celebrate the school’s 150th anniversary, a Headmaster’s XI captained by ex-West Indies captain Jimmy Adams won by seven wickets Extras The 2012 Fathers team had a ringer for their annual match against the staff: SK Warne took 6 for 66. Opening the batting for the Fathers in 2018 was Azhar Ali, whose century guided the fathers to their first victory in the annual fixture for some years Cultural cricketers Ex-British prime minister Harold Macmillan.

cricket. U11 HMC North 6-a-side champions 2012, 2017 and 2018 Extras Recent tours to Kenya 2010, South Africa 2013, Sri Lanka 2018 St Peter’s School, York: p61

Reginald Brooks was, along with his brother, one of the first two boys to attend Summer Fields in 1864; their father Shirley Brooks, the editor of Punch, was a friend of the school’s founders, the Maclarens. It was Brooks who, in later life, wrote the spoof obituary in the Sporting Times announcing the death of English cricket at The Oval on 29 August 1882 that would give rise to the use of the term ‘the Ashes’. EW Swanton, an uncle of the former director of music, could often be seen watching cricket here. The current headmaster David Faber captained the 1st XI as a boy and is a long-standing member of the MCC committee and chairs the club’s arts and library committee

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

TAUNTON PREP SCHOOL Taunton TA2 6AD Established 1847 Number of pupils 275 Notable fixtures Millfield in both boys and girls. Lots of touring schools in the summer (Dulwich, Moulsford, Abingdon) Director of cricket Pete Sanderson Cricket professionals Marcus Trescothick and Tom Abell Teams U13AB, U12AB, U11ABC, U10AB, U9AB, U8AB Girls’ cricket U13AB, U12AB, U11ABC, U10AB. From Year 5 upwards playing a mixture of hard and softball matches Club/county affiliation Somerset Facilities 12 grass pitches (four at any one time); 12 artificial surfaces outdoors and seven indoors across the whole school with main indoor

TAUN T ON PREP SCHOOL

net system on an individual pull out system; there are nine pitches available for the boys and girls across seniors, juniors and prep school matches Brief history In 1976 Taunton School completed its merger with Weirfield School to became one of the earliest fully co-educational independent schools in England.

In 1990, in order to create closer links between the two junior schools and Taunton School, Taunton Junior School and Weirfield were renamed Taunton Junior Boys School and Taunton Junior Girls School, respectively.

Following moderisation processes these schools still exist today as Taunton Preparatory and Senior Schools Cricketers of note Tom Abell (Somerset), Adam (Somerset) and Jodie Dibble (England, Western Storm, Somerset, Devon, Berkshire), Aftab Habib (England, Essex, Leicestershire

and Middlesex), Ricky Bartlett (Somerset), Nicholas Pringle (Somerset), Piran Holloway (Somerset & Warwickshire), John Jameson (England & Warwickshire), Tom Jameson (Warwickshire), John Cameron (West Indies), Alan Gibson (Oxford University), Alan Marshall (Somerset) and Jack White (England & Somerset) Best prospect Kian Roberts, Cole Willoughby Finest moments on the field Alex Chaffey (97 not out) and Fin Robertson (96 not out) had an unbeaten 163 run partnership for the U12s against Bristol Grammar in 2018 Extras Pete Sanderson, director of cricket, spent 23 years working at Somerset at all levels up from the playground to 10 seasons with the professional teams. The grounds are used for 2nd XI cricket, county women’s teams, Somerset and Cornwall youth teams, both boys

and girls. The Somerset Academy use the main ground and nets as a summer practice facility.

The school is hosting Chance to Compete regional girls finals and regional super fours tournament for girls. It is also a regional training centre for Western Storm as sponsors of the team. In 2018 Roelof van der Merwe, Max Waller and Johann Myburgh all delivered sessions to pupils to enhance the overall programme. Playing numbers are still rising , with all pupils involved. A major problem is finding schools who have enough teams to play against Taunton Prep in a full block on a Wednesday or Saturday. Another element is that the elite coaches in the school work across all ages from prep school up to the 1st XI in all sports Cultural cricketers Geoffrey Cox (Conservative MP), Gibson (cricket writer) and Jeremy Wright (attorney-general) Taunton School: p64 thecricketer.com | 109

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS THE ELMS SCHOOL Colwall Malvern Worcestershire WR13 6EF

Established 1614 Number of pupils 170 Notable fixtures 12 fixtures for the 1st XI and 11 for the U11A. Bromsgrove, Casterton (Sedbergh), King’s Gloucester, Beaudesert Park and Abberley Hall Master in charge Adam Sergeant Teams Nine (including four girls teams); 1st XI, 2nd XI (U13), Colts A, Colts B (U11), U9, U13 Girls, U12 Girls, U11 Girls, U9 Girls. As a small school, every boy is guaranteed the chance to represent the school in cricket from Year 4 upwards Girls’ cricket Introduced in 2018, under the guidance of director of sport Helen Taranczuk. There are now teams at U9, U11, U12 and U13.

As part of the drive to boost girls’ cricket, the school hosted eight days of U13 and U15 county cricket last year as part of the Malvern Festival; teams participating included Lancashire, Kent, Devon, Shropshire, Essex and Ireland Club/county affiliation The school’s unique location means that, although located in

TOWN CLOSE SCHOOL 14 Ipswich Road Norwich Norfolk NR 2 2LR Established 1932 Number of pupils 504 Notable fixtures 66 for boys (the most notable against Gresham’s), 61 for girls Master in charge Paul Newman (Derbyshire), Jacqueline Wilcox Teams For boys – U9 AB, U10ABC, U11ABC, U12ABC, U13ABC Girls’ cricket In Years 3-8, all girls play cricket in the summer term. They also provide pre-season girls’ cricket training for five weeks, as well as lunchtime practice Club/county affiliation Norfolk Facilities Two match pitches 110 | thecricketer.com

T HE ELMS SCHOOL // T OWN CLOSE SCHOOL

Herefordshire, they have boys representing three counties: Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. Of 61 boys in Years 4–8, nine are playing for county squads – 15 per cent Facilities Three pitches, including two dedicated and protected squares for the U13 and U11 teams.

Indoor sports hall, four lanes of outside nets and three movable nets, which can be used for middle practice Brief history Cricket has been an intrinsic part of life at The Elms since before records began in 1916.

Strong links with women’s cricket began with the school hosting the first matches of the Women’s Cricket Association in 1926 and continued with Betty Snowball, a former England player and member of staff helping with the coaching in the 1950s. Although the facilities have been updated since then, the passion remains the same and the quality continues to shine through.

The 1st XI only lost one match in 30 over a three-year period between 2011 and 2014 (recording unbeaten seasons in 2012 and 2014) and the current crop of U11, U10 and U9 cricketers are particularly strong.

With a reinvigoration of girls’ cricket at the school, the future of cricket at The Elms is very bright.

The Elms is a small school which (Main Field), one practice pitch (Fairfield), five outdoor nets (Artificial), two indoor nets, sports hall, cricket pavillion (Main Field) Brief history Cricket has been the mainstay of summer sport since the school’s inception as a boys’ preparatory school in 1932.

It remains the integral feature of the summer programme for boys, and from 2018 has a corresponding status in girls’ sport. A continued commitment to the expansion of facilities over the years, as well as the appointment of a cricket professional, has given all of the children access to first-class facilities and coaching that will ensure cricket remains at the forefront of the sports programme at Town Close. The institutional enthusiasm for cricket sets Town Close apart from other prep schools. Tours in Kent and Northamptonshire took place

punches well above their weight on the pitch, competing with and often beating schools three or four times the size. Recent improvements to facilities and coaching structures have seen girls’ cricket begin in earnest and have already borne fruit in terms of results for the boys, with undefeated U9s, our U10s winning the RGS Grange Tournament (beating Bromsgrove in the final) and the U11 side reaching the final of the 8Eight Malvern College competition (defeating Pinewood, Prestfelde and Abberley Hall) in 2018 Best prospect Arthur Sweeting Future plans Further development of the square for colts and plans for

improved net facilities, including grass nets, are already in place.

Alongside this, they are looking at potential tours and increasing the involvement of senior-school professionals in the coaching. Girls’ cricket is also being developed, with specialist coaches being drafted in.

Additional girls’ fixtures and links at Colwall CC are being included in plans for 2019. There are plans in place for a 1st XI tour to Sedbergh and other northern schools in 2019 Finest moment on the field In the 1990s the 1st XI bowled out a team for 2 (one of which was a wide) Cultural cricketers Quentin Letts (Daily Mail journalist), Charles Morgan (Morgan Cars)

regularly between 2008–2015.

Newman runs 20 weeks of coaching through the winter, working alongside other ECB Level 2 and 3 coaches, including Luke Caswell, an ECB Level 2 coach who is also a current Norfolk player Future plans With the introduction of cricket as the primary girls’

summer sport in 2018, Town Close House look forward to developing girls cricket through early engagement, coaching and mixed teams. They are also nurturing existing links with local clubs Finest moments on the field In 2013, U11 boys were national finalists at Millfield

t w y ford school // wellesle y house school

TWYFORD SCHOOL Twyford Winchester Hampshire SO21 1NW Established 1809 Number of pupils 410 Notable fixtures 115 fixtures, boys and girls, U8s to U13s Master in charge Gregg Lewis Teams 15 for boys, 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI, Colts AB, U10ABC, U9ABC, U8ABC Girls’ cricket 1st XI, 2nd XI, U12A, U11A, U10A, U9A. Introduced in 2015 and with games against other local prep schools Chafyn Grove, Walhampton, Lambrook, Farleigh, Cheam and Lord Wandsworth Club/county affiliation Hampshire. The local club, Twyford CC, use the facilities. Many of the children play at a variety of local clubs, including St Cross, Fair Oak, Easton & Martyr Worthy, Ropley

WELLESLEY HOUSE SCHOOL 114 Ramsgate Road Broadstairs Kent CT10 2DG Established 1866 Number of pupils 133 Notable fixtures 15 fixtures a year.

Quadrangular tournament with Ludgrove, Cheam and Elstree.

Annual fixtures v Sunningdale, Ashdown House and our local rivals, Junior King’s Canterbury Master in charge Tom Longdon Cricket professional Tim Burleigh Teams U13 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, Colts AB, U9 AB Girls’ cricket Two girls played in the 1st XI in summer 2018 and girls feed naturally into all teams across

Facilities Three cricket ovals, one astroturf for U9, five cricket nets (three outdoor, two indoor) Brief history Competitive cricket has been played at Twyford since at least 1858 and has been the backbone of sport at the school.

McDonnell (headmaster 1910–37) played for Hampshire while being

headmaster. Twyford School can claim to be the oldest prep school in the country, with 160 years of competitive matches. The school played a match in April 2018 against Horris Hill to celebrate Twyford’s 160th year of competitive cricket and the 125th of playing Horris Hill. In 2015 a new pavilion

and electronic scoreboard were donated by a retiring governor which provides a great vantage point to the 1st XI pitch and has become the focal point of cricket Cricketers of note Jimmy Adams, Joe Weatherley, Felix Organ, Simon Francis, John Francis (all Hampshire) Finest moments on the field The school’s first win at national level as ESCA U11 eight-a-side 2014 (and again in 2015) Extras Court cricket is a game unique to Twyford where up to 150 children play at breaktime on the Court area. Boys and girls play together and bowlers, using taped tennis balls (for swing) pit themselves against individual batsmen who are not allowed to defend! Collective fielders vie to catch them out and claim the bat Cultural cricketers Douglas Hurd played for the 1st XI in 1942. Charles Dodgson (better known as Lewis Carroll) had brothers here and took a portrait of the 1st XI in 1858

the age groups. There are separate teams for girls at U11 and U13 Club/county affiliation Kent and Sandwich Town CC Facilities Indoor cricket net and bowling machine, artificial outdoor nets and eight grass nets, two main squares with two additional squares for junior cricket Brief history The school was originally called Conyngham House and was situated in Ramsgate. It moved to its current site in Broadstairs in 1898 and later amalgamated with another local school, St Peter’s Court, in 1969. Cricket has been played at Wellesley for over a hundred years.

The school has nurtured many famous cricketers and played host to some well-known teams such EW Swanton’s Arabs, the Band of Brothers, Ivo Tennant’s All Sorts and the Shepway Stragglers.

Indeed, it was while Colin Cowdrey visited the school with the Kent 2nd XI that he decided to send his three sons, Jeremy, Christopher and Graham to Wellesley. It was this strong reputation for cricket that also persuaded England captain Freddie Mann to send his son (and also England captain) George to Wellesley. That tradition continues and the school has won the national JET (now IAPS) Cup on six occasions, beating teams such as Millfield and Dulwich in the finals Cricketers of note Many Welleslians have gone on to play first-class cricket over the years, the most famous being George Mann and Chris Cowdrey, both captains of England, Graham Cowdrey (Kent), Alex Loudon (England, Kent and Warwickshire), Giles Goodwin (Essex), Hugo Loudon (Hampshire), Sam Northeast (Kent and Hampshire) and Ollie Robinson (Sussex) Best prospect Inigo Pullen and Freddie Evans are involved with Kent age groups Future plans Develop facilities by introducing a new block of artificial nets, stengthen links with Kent and grow girls’ cricket. There are also aspirations to provide scholarships and bursaries

Finest moment on the field There have been many fine moments but perhaps the highlight was the JET national finals in 2003 at Oxford, Northeast scoring 124* in the semifinal and 94 in the final (caught on the boundary going for his second century of the day) beating Millfield to win the Trophy for the fifth time Extras The key factor that sets Wellesley apart from many other schools is size. For years Wellesley punched above its weight in sporting prowess, particularly in cricket and coaching in this sport takes place throughout the academic year and on a one-onone basis. Cricket is at the heart of it – all headmasters have had a real love and passion for the game. The quality of the pitch is excellent and the school regularly hosts fixtures where budding young cricketers and famous cricketing faces play together – indeed, the current ECB national selector, Ed Smith, played in a fixture at Wellesley in summer 2018 Cultural cricketers The headmaster, Gavin Franklin, is an ECB Level 4 coach and ex-Warwickshire CCC. Tennant, The Times cricket writer and contributor to The Cricketer, is another former pupil thecricketer.com | 111

TOP 50 PREP/JUNIOR SCHOOLS

WES T BROOK HAY SCHOOL // WINCHES T ER HOUSE SCHOOL

WESTBROOK HAY SCHOOL London Road Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire HP1 2RF Established 1892 Number of pupils 300–350 Notable fixtures 100 matches per term, county cup matches Master in charge Stuart Stedman Teams Two U13, six U11, six U9 Girls’ cricket Eight Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire Facilities Two grass wickets, three outdoor nets, one astro wicket, four

WINCHESTER HOUSE SCHOOL High Street Brackley Northamptonshire NN13 7AZ Established 1877 Number of pupils 300 Notable fixtures 120, including Spratton Hall and Common Room v Fathers

112 | thecricketer.com

Master in charge Sam Stoop and James Woodcock Teams Four at U13, four at U11 and two at U9 Girls’ cricket In 2018 Winchester House fully embraced girls’ cricket, with two teams at U13, two at U11 and one at U9 Club/county affiliation Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire Facilities Four wickets, five grass nets, four indoor nets and an astroturf wicket

Brief history Northants used to play 2nd XI matches there. The school has toured Suffolk before and has plans to go to Sussex.

It has also hosted South African schools Cricketers of note Ben Duckett (Northants, Notts & England), Andrew Lewin (Leicestershire) Best prospect Oliver Southan Future plans Plans for the Northants Centre of Excellence facilities to be available and the full-size astro has made

outfield pitches, two indoor nets in a sports hall Brief history Cricket has been played at Westbrook Hay for years, both hardball and softball Cricketers of note Alex Hales (Notts & England) Best prospect David Burnell has just left and is part of Warwickshire’s Academy Future plans The girls’ cricket scheme has kicked off this year and the school are looking forward to seeing that developing, with girls reaching the mixed A-teams Finest moment on the field Recent U11 County Cup victories Extras Westbrook Hay believe their ‘Cricket for All’ policy ensures all pupils are involved matches/training possible in poor weather Finest moment on the field Duckett scoring a double-century for the 1st XI. Chris Wilson hit six sixes in an over, potentially the second-youngest at the time to do so Cultural cricketers Sir Oliver Popplewell, retired judge, firstclass cricketer for Cambridge University and a former MCC president

WI T HAM HALL // WOODCO T E HOUSE SCHOOL

WITHAM HALL Witham on the Hill Stamford Lincolnshire PE10 0JJ Established 1959 Number of pupils 250 Notable fixtures 10-12 fixtures, the most notable against Oundle, Oakham, Stamford, Spratton Hall, Foremarke Hall and St John’s Cambridge Master in charge Sam Wills Teams 11 (1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, Colts ABCD, U9/8 ABCD) Girls’ cricket As a club and activity throughout the year Club/county affiliation Lincolnshire, who play age-group matches (U10 through to U17) on the 1st-team square, as do Leicestershire Facilities 1st XI square with eight grass wickets, two astro pitches, two astro nets, two grass nets and three brand-new indoor nets Brief history Cricket has always been one of the main sports in the summer term at Witham, with the aim to get all the children playing at an appropriate level

WOODCOTE HOUSE SCHOOL Snows Ride Windlesham Surrey GU20 6PF Established 1854 Number of pupils 105

that enables them to thrive in a safe and caring environment.

A huge focus at Witham is on inclusivity and allowing everyone an equal opportunity to play the game no matter their ability. A carefully delivered programme is run throughout the year with nets and training running through winter. This is done not only through activities/clubs but targeted training sessions. Girls are becoming more and more involved in cricket through these avenues and also through cricket days

Best prospect Angus Maloney Future plans To extend outdoor nets in the near future. The school is looking at introducing more girls to cricket in particular, through clubs, taster sessions and open days put on by senior schools. We are also looking to engage more schools in shorter format festivals that not only develop pupil skill-bases but get them more involved in the game Finest moment on the field The defeats of schools with far greater numbers of pupils are always special Extras Alex Exton’s pitches are held

in high regard by all who come to Witham Hall – including former professionals running county agegroup sides. The ground also has a nice quirk, with a horse chestnut tree inside the boundary. Bourne CC (Lincolnshire Premier League) use the indoor facilities during the winter, and the local cricket club, Witham on the Hill, play their home games on the main square on Sunday afternoons from May to September. The ground also hosts a thriving Witham Hall parents’ XI, and a headmaster’s XI

Notable fixtures 11 matches a year, with the match v Sunningdale referred to as El Clasico Master in charge Andrew Monk Cricket professional Ed Young (Surrey & Gloucestershire) Teams Seven teams through ages Club/county affiliation Surrey and Valley End CC Facilities Four grass pitches, four

astro nets and use of Eversley Indoor Cricket school in winter as well as VECC Astro cage when wet Brief history The dedicated 1st XI ground sits in front of the beautiful, wisteria-clad Georgian main house. The square was re-laid a few years ago and the outfield landscaped. Cricket has probably been played on this ground since 1854 (making Woodcote the oldest boys’-only prep school in the country, according to IAPS) and certainly before the Paterson family bought the school in 1931. Current headmaster, David Paterson, was awarded his cricket colours as a boy in 1972. All boys play three times a week at least with matches on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there has been a tour to Suffolk Recent cricketers of note Sam Andrews, who captained Radley in 2000, was offered a Surrey contract and Luc Durandt (Wellington) scored a first-class hundred for Durham UCCE in 2010 Best prospect Our current U9s captain, Seb Charles, is in the

Surrey system Future plans A pavilion refurbishment is in the pipeline and the net facility has been upgraded Finest moments on the field In 2001 Ed Turner (Harrow) and Oliver Tilney (Wellington) set a school-record partnership of 246 undefeated for the first wicket against Bishopsgate. In 2003 Luc Durandt set the highest individual score of 160 not out against Hoebridge. Hearing that ex-pupils are still playing for clubs and villages gives the most satisfaction Extras The school drive runs alongside the ground and used to be the main road to London. At this time the school was a coaching inn called The Pelican and it was up this road (and inevitably across the cricket pitch) that survivors of Trafalgar made their way home to London in 1805. Woodcote boys helped at the annual NatWest OSCAs at Lord’s for nine years Cultural cricketers Oliver Tilney, ‘Diet Coke Man’ and star of the West End show Mamma Mia, captained the XI thecricketer.com | 113

Schools Guide 2019

Index Top 100 secondary schools 12 Bede’s School 12 Bedford School 13 Bishop’s Stortford College 13 Blundell’s School 14 Bradfield College 15 Brentwood School 15 Brighton College 16 Bromsgrove School 16 Burford School 18 Charterhouse 18 Cheltenham College 19 Clayesmore 20 Clifton College 22 Cranleigh School 22 Dollar Academy 23 Dr Challoner’s Grammar School 23 Dulwich College 24 Durham School 24 Eastbourne College 25 Elizabeth College 27 Ellesmere College 27 Emanuel School 28 Epsom College 28 Eton College 29 Felsted School 29 Fettes College 30 Forest School 30 Framlingham College 32 Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School 34 Haileybury 35 Hampton School 35 Harrow School 36 Hurstpierpoint College 36 Kimbolton School 37 King’s College School 37 King’s College, Taunton 38 Lancaster Royal Grammar school 38 Lancing College

40 Leicester Grammar School 40 Lord Wandsworth College 41 Magdalen College School, Oxford 41 Malvern College 42 Marlborough College 42 Merchant Taylors’ School, Northwood 43 Merchiston Castle School 43 Millfield 44 Myerscough College 44 New Hall School 46 Norwich School 46 Oakham School 47 Ormskirk School 48 Oundle School 48 Queen Mary’s Grammar School 49 Queen’s College, Taunton 49 Radley College 50 Reed’s School 50 Reigate Grammar School 51 Repton School 51 Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe 52 Rugby School 53 Sedbergh School 53 Sevenoaks School 55 SGS College 55 Shenfield High School 56 Sherborne School 56 Shiplake College 57 Shrewsbury School 57 Simon Langton Grammar School 59 St Dunstan’s College 59 St John’s School, Leatherhead 60 St Paul’s School 61 St Peter’s School, York 61 Stamford School 62 Stewart’s Melville College 62 Stowe School

63 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 71 71 72 72 74 74 75 75 76 76 77

Sutton Valence School Taunton School The Judd School The King’s School, Canterbury The King’s School in Macclesfield The Leys School The Manchester Grammar School The Oratory School The Royal Grammar School, Guildford The Royal Hospital School Tonbridge School Trent College Trinity School Uppingham School Warwick School Watford Grammar School Wellingborough School Wellington College Wellington School Whitgift School Wilson’s School Winchester College Woodhouse Grove School Worksop College Worth School

Top 50 prep/junior schools 80 Abberley Hall 81 Abingdon Prep School 81 Barfield School 82 Beaudesert Park School 82 Bede’s Prep School 84 Belhaven Hill School 84 Blundell’s Prep School 85 Caldicott School 86 Cheam School 86 Clifton College Prep 87 Cranmore School 87 Cricklade Manor Prep

88 Cumnor House School, Croydon 90 Dorset House 90 Dragon School 91 Elstree School 91 Foremarke Hall 92 Horris Hill 93 Hurlingham School 93 Lambrook 94 Ludgrove 95 Millfield Prep 95 Moulsford 96 Newland House School 96 Nottingham Academy 97 Orley Farm School 97 Packwood Haugh 98 Papplewick School 100 Parkside School 101 Rokeby School 102 Salisbury Cathedral School 102 Sherborne Prep 103 Shrewsbury House School 103 Spratton Hall 105 St Andrew’s Prep 105 St Faith’s School 106 St Hugh’s 106 St John’s School, Northwood 107 St Mary’s, Melrose 108 St Olave’s, York 108 Summer Fields School 109 Taunton Prep School 110 The Elms School 110 Town Close School 111 Twyford School 111 Wellesley House School 112 Westbrook Hay School 112 Winchester House School 113 Witham Hall 113 Woodcote House School

Inclusion in the guide: every year we invite schools across the country to submit their entries. Having collated the entries the judging panel scrutinises the schools against a number of criteria including facilities, fixture programmes and coaching set-up to determine which should be included in the top 100 secondary schools, and top 50 prep and junior schools. We can, of course, only include the schools who submit an entry – so if you believe your school is worthy of consideration please do make sure you submit via www.thecricketer.com/goodschoolsguide or by emailing us at magazine@thecricketer.com

114 | thecricketer.com

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Keith Medlycott at Reed’s School

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