THE
PLAYING
FIELDS OF
ENGLAND
AN A–Z GUIDE TO THE SUMMER GAME’S
TOP 100 SCHOOLS 2016
Staff
Managing director Andy Afford
Editor-at-large Simon Hughes
Head of editorial planning
and production Alec Swann
Deputy editor Huw Turbervill
Art director James Bunce
Art editor Jess Hutchinson
Commercial director Jim Hindson
Account and operations
manager Jess Davidson
Digital media manager Will Simpson
Accounts co-ordinator Chris Smith
Business development
executive George Fitzmaurice
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WHY AN A–Z GUIDE?
WHY SCHOOLS
CRICKET? WHY NOW?
Andy Afford
Managing
director,
The Cricketer
DEAR READER,
Since reintroducing
schools
cricket more
formally to
The Cricketer
in 2013, we
have had a consistently strong
response to the coverage from
you.
Typically, people like the idea of
an early look at potential future
stars. Lots of you comment on the
evocative photography. More still
have an opinion on the relative
quality of the cricket played. Safe
to say, it has inspired healthy
debate.
As I am guessing most of you
would expect, our list constitutes
a high percentage of public
schools. It is not exclusively so,
but it has ended up that way. And
not by design, I might add. And
that the last Test of the summer
saw England field six players who
were privately educated goes a
long way to establishing a further
reason why.
Ultimately, this is where
considerable investment is
being made in the game in this
country. By parents. By young
cricketers. And by the schools
themselves. Investment in
coaching. Investment in facilities.
Investment in time dedicated to
the pursuit of excellence. Like
it or not, this now constitutes
the game’s modern-day nursery
slopes. Especially with
weekend club cricket under
the ever-increasing pressures
of modern life.
That is the context, but what
have we actually done to put this
all together? Well, the process
itself was simple, if not all that
straightforward. The first thing
was to draw down a longlist of
around 450 likely names and,
from there, derive a shortlist of
what we believed constituted the
very best 150 cricketing schools
in the country. From this we
settled on the final 100 and put
them in alphabetical order for no
other reason than they all have
something equally positive and
unique to offer.
One final comment on that
final list: we fully understand
that the number 100 is in itself
a pretty arbitrary figure. But as
in all these things, it offered a
starting point and, indeed, an
end. It could have been 111, 121
or even 127. Easily. But the reason
we decided it couldn’t made us
work that little bit harder for you.
This, we believe, constitutes the
establishments that offer in their
own way – or in a few cases every
way – cricketing excellence. From
programme design to building
design; exclusive setting to
inclusive selection; historic past
to glorious future.
With this list came the
opportunity to agree a few
additional awards. These are for
places we believe are outstanding
in their way. They will reveal
themselves as you work your way
through the supplement.
Geographically, the list runs the
length and breadth of this great
land (see page 65). We are very
proud of the ambition shown by
the project. We hope you find the
results equally fascinating.
Member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulations
thecricketer.com / 3
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
GALLIAN AND CRAWLEY
MOVE WITH THE TIMES
By Alec Swann and Huw Turbervill
TWO FORMER England batsmen
have had a hectic summer juggling
fixture lists that are coming under
increased strain from the exam
season.
Teachers acknowledge that parents
are placing ever greater pressure on
youngsters to revise rather than play
sport. Subsequently a lot of matches
are scheduled at the start of the
term (when it is rainy) and at the end
(when youngsters lose focus and are
thinking of holidays). This is when a
lot of year 10 and 11 pupils are
fast-tracked early.
John Crawley spent the season at
Oakham School, in Leicestershire,
before his move to Oundle School
in Northamptonshire, while Jason
Gallian is director of cricket at
Felsted, in Essex.
Crawley, the former Lancashire
and Hampshire batsman who won
37 Test caps, says considerate
management is needed. “It depends
on what the kids buy into,” he said.
“We’re certainly very lucky here; the
kids finish their exams and want to
come back and play their fixtures.
More than ever you have to manage
it carefully and realise the lads have
got work to do. A lot of the decisionmaking is left to them and I find that
works well.”
This is an attitude echoed by
Scott Boswell, once a seamer on the
books of Northamptonshire and
Leicestershire, who is head of cricket
at Trent College.
“I think we get it right. It’s 10
weeks, during their exam period,”
4 / thecricketer.com
WE HAVE TO
REIN IT IN
WHEN YOU
FIND BOYS
IN THE PREP
SCHOOL
PLAYING
‘DILSCOOPS’
AT 7.3O ON
MONDAY
MORNING
People and places:
Jason Gallian
(above, left) and
John Crawley
(above, right);
Felsted (far right,
above) and Oakham
(far right, below)
he said. “They play once a week
during their exams and more
before and after. There’s plenty of
other sport going on so we have to
promote cricket and support the lads
whenever we can.”
“We want them to leave having
had a good experience and to stay
involved in the game, at whatever
level that may be and in whatever
capacity. That, broadly speaking, is
the aim,” Crawley adds.
As for his opposite number,
Boswell said: “If we get it right then
the lads go on to play in county
sides and that is something that we
try to encourage. We want the very
best, in a cricketing sense, whatever
that may be, for every individual. As
long as that is the case then school
cricket will survive and continue to
be a useful product.”
With less time available for
cricket, Twenty20 is becoming an
increasingly favoured format.
The Front at Felsted is still a
genteel venue with its blissful
birdsong, but is experiencing the T20
revolution: with pink balls, dabs to
third man, cross-batted slogs and
fielders in coloured clothing flinging
themselves to the floor.
“We offer the full range of formats,
but T20 is a trend that is coming
through,” said Gallian, who played in
three Tests for England. “It’s on the
TV and has razzmatazz appeal.”
Charlie Knightley, the former
Oxfordshire batsman who is director
of sport at the school, agreed: “It
used to be two-thirds declaration
games, now it’s about half. The hosts
decide the format, but we find the
boys are generally keener to play 50and 20-over. Schoolboy cricket used
to be defensive, now it’s attacking.”
Bedford School’s Pip August
concurred: “Parents seem to prefer
the 50- and 20-over matches. You get
a result and the boys get more into
the game; declaration games tend to
meander – the question of when to
declare, and so on. Exam pressure,
and the hectic nature of modern
life, are factors. Some schools even
provide live music, although there
have been no dancing girls yet. We
do have to rein it, though, when you
find boys in the prep school playing
‘Dilscoops’ to the first ball in the
nets at 7.30 on Monday morning!”
Despite the changes, former
professional cricketers are still
conveying their knowledge and
passion for the game to youngsters.
The genial David Ward has overseen
cricket at Whitgift School for 17
years. “What’s not to love about
working here?” he said. “I love the
under-12E and under-13D games
– everyone is Freddie Flintoff and
Waqar Younis, bounding up to each
other and saying after a dropped
catch, ‘Bad luck, get the next one …’”
He memorably strapped on his
pads aged 41 to help his old club
Surrey out of an injury crisis for
a one-day game against
Northamptonshire at Whitgift in
2002; he hit 78 from 52 balls to
delight his pupils. He said: “I needed
a cold shower after the warm-up!”
thecricketer.com / 5
Top 100 Schools
ALDENHAM
SCHOOL
Aldenham Road
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3AJ
Established 1597
Notable fixtures MCC, Merchant
Taylors’, Haberdashers’ Aske’s,
XL Club
Cricket professional David Goodchild
(Middlesex)
Teams Seven sides from U14
upwards, plus four U12/13
Facilities Large indoor sports hall
with five nets and bowling machine.
Eight grass nets and three main
grounds, plus one artificial surface
Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire
and Middlesex. Plus links with
Watford Town CC, Eastcote CC and
Radlett CC
Brief history Cricket was first played
at Aldenham in 1857. A beautiful
setting that includes a quaint old
pavilion, the school has produced
one Test cricketer in John Dewes,
who debuted for England in Donald
Bradman’s last Test in 1948
Cricketers of note John Dewes
(Middlesex & England), Scott
Moffat (Middlesex), Kaf Jahangir
(Glamorgan), Lee Tyrrell
(Worcestershire)
Extras Chris Gayle and Kevin
Pietersen recently filmed a TV advert
for the Caribbean T20 at Aldenham.
The school features in a calendar
of 12 famous school pavilions from
around the country
Club/county affiliation Bedfordshire
Brief history The first organised
BEDFORD
MODERN
SCHOOL
Manton Lane
Bedford
MK41 7NT
6 / thecricketer.com
Established 1764
Notable fixtures MCC
Director of cricket Paul Woodroffe
Teams 15 teams regularly turned out
with girls able to opt for cricket, several
playing for school teams
Facilities Two indoor lanes in sports
hall, 10 artificial lanes outdoors and five
excellent grass nets. The school has
five cricket squares
cricket at the school took place
in 1883, largely thanks to cricket
coach Dick Rogers, who converted
wasteland on Clarenden Street into
a sports field
Cricketers of note AJ Turner (Essex),
AO Jones (Nottinghamshire &
England) FCW Newman (Surrey),
HLV Day (Hampshire), NDT
Oliver, RD Richmond (Jamaica),
RA Gale (Middlesex), PD Watts
(Northamptonshire), PJ Kippax
(Yorkshire), Alan Fordham
(Northamptonshire), Geoff Millman
(Nottinghamshire & England), Neil
Stanley (Northamptonshire)
Extras Neil Stanley
(Northamptonshire) holds the
school record for most runs scored
in a season with 1,116 in total. Paul
Owen (Gloucestershire) holds the
record for most 1st XI wickets with
154 victims over three years. Monty
Panesar (Northamptonshire, Sussex,
Essex & England) is a famous old boy
BEDE’S
Upper Dicker
Hailsham
East Sussex
BN27 3QH
Established 1979
Notable fixtures Eton,
Charterhouse, MCC, Tonbridge,
Whitgift
Director of cricket Alan Wells
(Sussex, Kent & England)
Cricket professional Neil Lenham
(Sussex)
Teams U14ABC, U15ABC, 1st XI,
2nd XI, 3rd XI. Women’s cricket
played at prep and senior schools.
Girls included in boys’ teams on
ability
Facilities Six indoor nets, six
artificial outdoor nets plus five
grass squares
Club/county affiliation Sussex
Brief history The school employed
its first full-time coach (Alan
Wells) in 2001. Cricket is one of
the two main summer sports
alongside tennis
Cricketers of note Ollie Rayner
(Sussex & Middlesex), Luke
Wells (Sussex), Shai Hope (West
Indies), Callum Jackson (Sussex),
Fynn Hudson-Prentice (Sussex)
Extras The M-J pavilion was
opened this summer, named
after famous old boy Christopher
Martin-Jenkins, former editor of
The Cricketer
BEDFORD SCHOOL
De Parys Avenue
Bedford
Bedfordshire
MK40 2TU
Established 1552
Notable fixtures Harrow, MCC,
Shrewsbury, Bromsgrove, Stowe
Director of cricket Gary Steer
Teams Upper School – 1st XI, 2nd XI,
3rd XI, 4th XI, U17, U16A, U15ABC,
U14ABCD
Prep School 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th
XI, 5th XI, U11ABC, U10AB, U9AB, U8A
Facilities Six indoor lanes, 13 grass
nets, six artificial outdoor lanes, seven
cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Bedfordshire
Brief history Although records date
back to 1886, it is in recent years
the school has become one of the
leading in the country. National
under-17 titles in 2010 and 2014,
finalists of the Lord’s Taverners Colts
Trophy (under-15) in 2010 and 2013,
and twice schools T20 finalists in
that time. The current England Test
captain has space named after him in
the recently refurbished pavilion
Cricketers of note Alastair
Cook (Essex & England), Alex
Wakely (Northamptonshire),
James Kettleborough
(Northamptonshire, Glamorgan),
Toby Bailey (Northamptonshire),
Will Smith (Nottinghamshire,
Durham, Hampshire, Ian Peck
(Northamptonshire), Robin BoydMoss (Northamptonshire), Christian
Davis (Northamptonshire)
Extras A truly majestic setting in the
lee of the main school buildings
thecricketer.com / 7
Top 100 Schools
BEECHEN CLIFF SCHOOL
Alexandra Park
Kipling Avenue
Bath
Somerset
BA2 4RE
Established 1896
Notable fixtures Millfield, XL Club,
MCC.
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14ABC,
U13ABC, U12ABCD
Facilities Four indoor lanes and one
junior pitch on-site. One full-sized
square off-site
Club/county affiliation Somerset
Extras Beechen Cliff is a state school
competing across all age groups,
including playing in the Peak Sports
League at 1st XI level. In the past 10
years the school has won the league
twice. With limited facilities, budget
and coaching expertise, the school
continues to turn in fantastic results.
Beechen Cliff tour Barbados on a
bi-annual basis. Their former director
of sport, Ellis Wilmot, said: “The tour
provides a fantastic opportunity for
our pupils to test their skills against
tough opposition in a totally different
climate and pitch conditions but also
it has inspired these players to stay
committed to school cricket into the
sixth form and hopefully into lifelong
enjoyment in the sport with the
community’s local clubs”
8 / thecricketer.com
BLUNDELL’S SCHOOL
Blundell’s Road
Tiverton
Devon
EX16 4DN
Established 1604
Notable fixtures Millfield, MCC,
King’s Taunton, Sherborne, Clifton
College
Cricket professional Rob Turner
(Somerset & England A), Brad
Barnes (South Africa)
Teams U12AB, U13AB, U14AB,
U15AB, 4th XI 3rd XI, 2nd XI,
1st XI. Girls’ fixtures across a
variety of age groups, with girls
also playing the boys’ teams on
merit. Girls’ cricket is growing
in popularity and a number of
students play for Devon at various
age levels
Facilities Indoor sports hall (two
nets), outdoor all-weather facility
(four nets), 12 grass nets and six
cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Heathcoat
CC (Devon Premier League),
Somerset
Cricketers of note Vic Marks
(Somerset & England), Hugh Morris
(Glamorgan & England), Sam
Wyatt-Haines (Somerset)
Extras The school plays a
prominent role in supporting
representative cricket, hosting
matches for boys and girls at all
age levels from under-11 through
to the full county club men and
women’s teams
BRADFORD
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Keighley Rd
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD9 4JP
BRADFIELD COLLEGE
GETTY IMAGES (2)
Reading
West Berkshire
RG7 6BZ
Established 1850
Notable fixtures Winchester, Radley,
Cheltenham, St Edwards and
Marlborough, Eton, Wellington,
Whitgift, Charterhouse, Portsmouth
GS, Abingdon, Stowe plus twoday fixture against Malvern and
declaration games against MCC,
Free Foresters and Butterflies
Cricket professional Julian Wood
(Hampshire)
Teams Three senior XIs, U16AB,
U15ABC, U14ABCD with girls’
cricket starting in 2015
Facilities Seven cricket squares, 14
grass nets, four artificial nets, four
indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Berkshire,
Gloucestershire, Hampshire,
Middlesex, Surrey
Brief history Bradfield’s individual
bowling record has stood since 1962
with Michael Mence’s 84 wickets
(in 415 overs) looking unlikely to
be seriously challenged. However,
the same player’s batting record
(from the same year) was beaten by
Harry Came in 2015. He became the
first player to score 1,000 runs in a
season for the school. Pit – the home
of the 1st XI which sits beside the
River Pang – was named one of Ted
Dexter’s three favourite grounds
Cricketers of note Graham Roope
(Surrey & England), Rupert
Cox (Hampshire), Will Kendall
(Hampshire), Mark Nicholas
(Hampshire & England A),
Hamza Riazuddin (Hampshire),
Ryan Higgins (Middlesex), Tom
Jewell (Surrey), Michael Mence
(Warwickshire)
Extras Cricket professional Julian
Wood forms part of Graham
Thorpe’s coaching team working
with England Under-19s, the Lions
and the senior squad. Although not
a vintage year, the 1st XI did win the
John Harvey Cup (tied first with St
Edward’s, Oxford), the tournament
also featured Marlborough,
Winchester, Cheltenham and Radley
Boy done good: Mark Nicholas shone for
Hampshire and is now a television star
Established 1548
Notable fixtures MCC
Cricket professional Simon Kellett
(Yorkshire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14, U13,
U12 at senior school, U11 and U10 at
junior level
Facilities Five indoor nets in sports
hall, six grass nets, three grounds
(two grass squares, one artificial)
Club/county affiliation Yorkshire
Senior Schools’ Cricket Association,
Yorkshire Schools’ Cricket
Association
Brief history Cricket was first played
at Bradford Grammar School in
the 1870s, the school playing its
first competitive match against
Fulneck School in May 1884. Much
has happened since those early
days, including the move to grounds
at Frizinghall, the building of both
the old and new sports pavilions,
and the development of a major
overseas tours programme
Cricketers of note Frank
Lowson (Yorkshire & England),
Ajmal Shahzad (Yorkshire,
Lancashire, Nottinghamshire,
Sussex & England), Jack
Webster (Northamptonshire),
Ashley Metcalfe (Yorkshire,
Nottinghamshire)
Extras The school boasts extensive
1st XI records dating back to the very
first match played
Famous old
boy: Ajmal
Shahzad studied
at Bradford
Grammar
thecricketer.com / 9
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
BRIGHTON COLLEGE
Eastern Road
Brighton
East Sussex
BN2 0AL
Established 1845
Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Women,
XL Club, Cranleigh, Dulwich
BRENTWOOD SCHOOL
Middleton Hall Lane
Brentwood
Essex
CM15 8EE
Established 1557
Notable fixtures MCC, Felsted,
Bancrofts
Cricket professional Brian Hardie
(Essex), Geraint Jones (Kent,
Gloucestershire & England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB,
U14AB, U13AB, U12AB
Facilities Six indoor and six
outdoor nets
Club/county affiliation Essex
Cricketers of note Stanley Scott
(Middlesex), Charles Kortright
(Essex), Colin Griffiths (Essex),
Graham Horrex (Essex), David
Acfield (Essex), Richard Baker
(Essex), Ian Pont (Essex), Kishen
Velani (Essex), Thomas Moore
(Essex)
Extras The school has an active
touring programme and strong
links with Essex County Cricket
Club and local Essex clubs. Former
Essex batsman Brian Hardie has
just made way after
25 years for 2005 Ashes hero
Geraint Jones, fresh from helping
Gloucestershire to Royal London
One-Day Cup glory at Lord’s.
Among the former cricketers at
Brentwood is former Chelsea
and England footballer Frank
Lampard, who is a big fan
of the game
10 / thecricketer.com
(Lancashire)
Teams 12 boys’ teams and four girls’
Facilities Four indoor lanes, two cricket
squares, seven grass nets, 10 syntheticgrass outdoor lanes
Club/county affiliation Sussex
Brief history A long and proud tradition
of encouraging girls’ cricket with
teams in the Lady Taverners winter
tournament and an under-15 and 1st XI
side with the best girls playing in boys
teams. Old Brightonians include
internationals Clare Connor,
Holly Colvin, Sarah Taylor and
Laura Marsh. Georgia Adams and
Freya Davies are on the England
Academy, while Izzy Collis is on
the England Under-19 Academy
Cricketers of note Matt
Prior (Sussex & England),
Matt Machan (Sussex), Carl
Hopkinson (Sussex), Joe Gatting
(Sussex, Hampshire)
Special
for ExcellAeward
nce
THE CRICKETER
SPECIAL AWARD
OF EXCELLENCE
Brighton College has
been at the forefront
of the women’s game
prior to it becoming
the professional experience
it is today. Trailblazing in the way it
encouraged talented women cricketers
to compete on merit for places in male
teams, current ECB women’s supremo
and Brighton alumni Clare Connor found
herself at the vanguard of everything
good about the modern
women’s game
In safe hands:
Matt Prior is a
famous Brighton
College old boy
GETTY IMAGES (1), ©WWW.PENGUINPHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK (2)
Director of Cricket Mike Smethurst
BRISTOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL
University Road
Bristol
BS8 1SR
Established 1532
Notable fixtures Clifton College, RGS
Worcester
Cricket professional Paul Muchall
(Gloucestershire)
Teams U8AB, U9AB, U10AB, U11AB,
U12AB C, U13ABC, U14AB, U15AB,
1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI. Kwik cricket
is offered to girls aged 12 to 15, the
programme totalling eight teams
Facilities Five indoor lanes, seven
grass nets, four synthetic-grass
nets, one artificial pitch, five cricket
squares and five ‘outwickets’
Club/county affiliation Somerset
Cricket Board, Gloucestershire
Cricket Board
Brief history Founded by Royal
Charter on March 17 1532 by
Henry VIII for the teaching of ‘good
manners and literature’, the school
was established to educate the sons
of Bristol merchants and tradesmen.
The school moved from its original
home in the city centre to its current
location at Tyndall’s Park in 1879.
The preparatory school began in
1900 but was destroyed on the night
of November 24 1940 by incendiary
bombs. The playing fields are three
miles away from the main school at
Failand where a new pavilion was
built a few years ago in 2008. BGS
went independent in 1979 following
the abolition of the direct grant
system. In 1980 the school became a
fully co-educational day school and
has over 1,200 students aged between
4 and 18
Cricketers of note Tom Graveney
(Worcestershire & England), Will
Tavare (Gloucestershire)
thecricketer.com / 11
Top 100 Schools
CANFORD SCHOOL
Wimborne
Dorset
BH21 3AD
BROMSGROVE SCHOOL
Worcester Road
Bromsgrove
Worcestershire
B61 7DU
Established 1553
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club
Cricket professionals Ben Cox
(Worcestershire), Jon Webb
(Warwickshire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI,
U15ABCD, U14ABCD, U13AB,
U12AB, U11AB, U10AB, U9AB, plus
girls at U15 level
Facilities New five-lane outdoor
ECB-approved net facility. New
eight-lane indoor facility. Grass
practice area on edge of main
squares
Club/county affiliation Strong
links with Worcestershire and
Warwickshire.
Extras Bromsgrove School offers
cricketers the opportunity to play
the sport at the appropriate level as
well as offering aspiring cricketers
a 12-month personal coaching
programme – underpinned by the
most important thing of all – a
strong academic education
Cricketers of note Ben Cox
(Worcestershire), Jon Webb
(Warwickshire)
12 / thecricketer.com
Extras A strong all-round sporting
pedigree sees Bromsgrove compete
strongly at rugby and hockey as
well as on a challenging Midlands
cricket circuit. Excellent on-site
facilities makes the school a
hotbed for sport, attracting talent
from overseas as well as the UK
Out of the park: Bromsgrove alumni Ben
Cox plies his trade for Worcestershire
Established 1923
Notable fixtures Millfield,
MCC, King’s Taunton, XL Club,
Marlborough, plus regular overseas
tourists Crawford College RSA,
Leopards RSA
Cricket professional Matt Keech
(Middlesex, Hampshire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
U15ABC, U14ABC. Girls’ cricket run as
summer activity with 2016 earmarked
as a summer sport option
Facilities Eight-lane indoor facility, 10
grass nets, four synthetic-grass nets
and four cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Dorset,
Hampshire
Cricketers of note Jon Hardy
(Hampshire, Somerset)
Extras A superb setting and the
school prides itself on its hospitality.
Julian Shackleton (Gloucestershire),
Matt Keech (see above) and Owen
Parkin (Glamorgan) are all former
professionals on the teaching staff.
Canford has a reputation for ‘David v
Goliath’ performances against bigger
rivals. School tours have included
trips to Sri Lanka and the Caribbean,
and Canford is the only English
school to have won the Sir
Garry Sobers Cup
CHARTERHOUSE SCHOOL
Charterhouse Road
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 2DX
CHIGWELL SCHOOL
High Road
Chigwell
Essex
IG7 6QF
Established 1629
Notable fixtures MCC, England
Women Academy, Chris Gayle
Academy, XL Club.
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13AB, U12AB, U11, U11 Girls, U10,
U9AB. Cricket is part of PE lessons for
U11/12 girls
Facilities Seven cricket squares, sports
hall, gym, two hard-court areas, two
artificial areas, seven grass nets, six
synthetic-grass nets
Club/county affiliation London Schools,
Essex
Extras Chigwell host Essex age-group
cricket from under-9 to under-17 age
groups, as well as Essex junior girls, plus
the ESCA East of England regional
hard-ball final. Last summer the under11s tasted glory at the Bancroft’s Cricket
Tournament. They won all their five
matches, beating St Cedd’s, Bancroft’s,
Forest, Woodford Green Prep and then
St Aubyn’s in the deciding game. Coach
Mr Frank Griffith said: “It was a pleasure
taking the team because many of the
teachers and parents commented
on their good behaviour throughout
the day.” The Andrew Flintoff Cricket
Academy came to the school last
Whitsun, and Mark Ramprakash, David
Lawrence and Alex Tudor are among
the former England cricketers who have
played at Chigwell in recent years
getty images (1)
Established 1611
Notable fixtures Cowdrey Cup
(Eton, Harrow, Tonbridge, Radley
College, Wellington College)
Cricket professional Martin Bicknell
(Surrey & England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
U16AB, U15ABC, U14ABCDE
Facilities Four indoor nets, 12
artificial outdoor nets
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Cricketers of note Peter May (Surrey
& England), James Hamblin
(Hampshire), James Bovill
(Hampshire), Gregor McMillan
(Gloucestershire, Leicestershire)
Extras One of the prettiest grounds
in the south-east. 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
thecricketer.com / 13
8092 HB The Cricketer 151015.qxp_8050 HB Archant 90x133 15/10/2015 12:31 Pa
The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School
Nurturing Excellence
Cricket at Habs
Cricket is the major sport played at Habs in the summer term.
The School has excellent indoor facilities, enabling the sport
to be played throughout the year. Cricket, enjoyed at all levels
and ages, is hugely popular. The senior team regularly have
fantastic opportunities to experience the game abroad by
going on international tours – this year to Sri Lanka.
“... an immensely friendly school...” Good Schools Guide
An independent, co-educational boarding and day school for pupils
An outstanding independent
day school for boys aged
between 5 and 18.
aged between 11 and 18, on the north Hampshire/Surrey border
www.habsboys.org.uk
registered charity no: 313996
E: [email protected]
T: 01256 862201
W: www.lordwandsworth.org
23817 Lord Wandsworth College Cricket Advert.indd 1
Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3AF
Tel: 020 8266 1700
[email protected]
Headmaster: Peter B Hamilton MA
29/09/2015 09:19
Senior School 11-18
Day and boarding
From Prep to Professional
Blundell’s extensive cricket programme provides
pupils with fantastic opportunities to develop
their skills and maximise their potential.
Talented cricketers may apply for a range of
sports awards from 13+.
Our flourishing co-educational school offers outstanding boarding
and day education for 3-18 years – including quality coaching
led by talented staff with professional cricketing backgrounds.
Please fing 01884 252543 or email
[email protected] for more information.
Tiverton • Devon • EX16 4DN • www.blundells.org
Keen to improve your cricket? So are we.
Call 01747 812122 • www.clayesmore.com
Proud to be one of The Cricketer’s Top 100 Schools
CHRIST’S HOSPITAL
Christ’s Hospital
Horsham
West Sussex
RH13 0YP
Established 1553
Notable fixtures King’s Bruton
cricket festival
CHISLEHURST
& SIDCUP
GRAMMAR
Hurst Road
Sidcup
Kent
DA15 9AG
Established 1932
Notable fixtures MCC
Cricket professional DL Pask
Teams U12AB, U13AB, U14, U15,
1st XI
Facilities Two indoor nets, three
outdoor synthetic-grass nets, two
cricket squares the senior of which
has an artifical strip
Club/county affiliation Bexley
District Cricket, Bexley CC,
Sidcup CC, Dartfordians CC,
Bexleyheath CC
Brief history Cricket has always been
the main summer sport at the Kent
school. The golden years of
the 1970s and early 1980s saw
regular appearances in county
finals. Girls’ cricket at the school
was also at its strongest during this
period. Pleasingly, the last decade
has seen a return to the ‘good old
days’ of cricket at Chislehurst &
Sidcup Grammar, with a Kent Cup
victory for the under-12 side in 2014
and regular victories in the North
Kent Cup
Cricketers of note Graham Clinton
(Surrey), Matthew Brimson (Kent,
Leicestershire)
Extras Described as the hub of
cricket in the London borough of
Bexley, the school co-ordinates and
hosts the finals of the North Kent
League and during the summer
hosts under-10, 12 and 14 district
matches and holiday courses for
children from the ages of 6 to 14
Cricket professional Trevor Jesty
(Hampshire, Surrey, Lancashire
& England)
Teams 12 sides regularly turned out
including girls at U13 and U15 ages
Facilities Eight grass squares, two
synthetic-grass pitches, six grass nets,
12 outdoor synthetic-grass nets, four
indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Sussex
Brief history Cricket has been played
at Christ’s Hospital since Victorian
times. When the school was situated
on Newgate Street in London, pupils
were bussed out to play matches in
the suburbs
Cricketers of note John Snow (Sussex
& England), Dennis Silk (Somerset)
Extras Since the school’s move
to Horsham in 1902, cricket has
remained the major summer sport.
In 2003 the school’s military band
was on hand to commemorate
Sussex’s first County Championship
title, by all accounts greeting the
success with a particularly rousing
version of ‘Sussex By The Sea’. The
school tries to give every pupil an
opportunity to play cricket and
exposes them to the game at 11 as
many from inner-city areas have
never played the sport
thecricketer.com / 15
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
CLAYESMORE SCHOOL
Blandford Road
Blandford Forum
Dorset
DT11 8LJ
Established 1896
Notable fixtures MCC, Canford,
Bryanston
Cricket professional Dan Conway
Teams Ten sides U14 to U18. Girls are
encouraged to join boys’ teams and
attend training sessions
Facilities Four indoor nets, five grass
nets, two synthetic-grass nets, two
‘Flicx’ nets, three cricket grounds.
Additional facilities available via
adjacent Clayesmore Prep School
grounds
Club/county affiliation Dorset,
Hampshire
Brief history Founded by Alexander
Devine in 1896, the school has
moved from its original home in
Middlesex to Pangbourne, and
then to Winchester before settling
in Iwerne Minster in 1933. In 1974
the senior school became fully
co-educational and was joined by
the prep school following its move
from Charlton Marshall. The present
headmaster, Martin Cooke, took
office in 2000 and has increased pupil
numbers, expanded the curriculum
and improved exam results
within a successful programme of
development
Cricketers of note Lewis McManus
(Hampshire), John Stephenson
(Essex, Hampshire & England),
George Reynolds Brown (Essex)
Extras 2015 featured the inclusion
Established 1854
Notable fixtures XL Club, MCC,
Caterham, Christ’s Hospital, Reigate
Grammar School, Worth School, St
Peter’s School York, King’s School
Bruton
Current cricket professional
CITY OF LONDON
FREEMEN’S SCHOOL
Ashtead Park
Ashtead
Surrey
KT21 1ET
16 / thecricketer.com
Higher
honours?: Rory
Burns is aiming
for an England
call-up
Neil Stewart
Teams U8ABC, U9ABC,
U10ABC, U11ABC,
U13ABCDEF, U14AB, U15AB,
2nd XI, 1st XI. Cricket is also
offered to girls in the school
enrichment programme, a
one-hour weekly option in the
summer term for ages 12 to 15
Facilities Three grass squares, five
outdoor nets, four bays of indoor
nets
of two Clayesmorians within
Wisden’s Top 20 bowling averages
in schoolboy cricket. Recent coach
Paul Warren is now employed as an
analyst for the New Zealand team.
The school is determined to fight
against the challenges that have led
to a decline in schools’ cricket over
the years
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history The co-educational
school founded in Brixton moved to
the current 57-acre site at Ashtead
Park (Surrey) in 1926. Freemen’s is one
of three schools owned by the City of
London Corporation. Strong links exist
between the city and the school
Cricketers of note Rory Burns (Surrey)
was in the class of 2008. He is knocking
on England’s door
Extras The school’s main square is
regarded as an excellent place to play
the game. The school recently toured
South Africa. The 1st XI attend an
annual cricket festival and a regional
T20 competition while the under-11,
under-13 and under-15 teams enter
both district and county cups
CLIFTON COLLEGE
The Avenue
Bristol
BS8 3HE
Established 1862
Notable fixtures Cheltenham
College, Rugby School, Sherborne,
King’s Taunton, Bromsgrove
Master i/c Cricket John Bobby
Cricket professional Paul Romaines
(Gloucestershire), Jim Williams
(Glamorgan, 2016)
Teams U14AB, U15AB, 1st XI 2nd
XI, 3rd XI. Girls’ cricket years 9/10
Facilities 1st XI ground –The Close
– plus four other squares, two
artificial outdoor pitches, eight
grass nets, two bowling machine
nets, four indoor nets
Club/county affiliation
Gloucestershire, Somerset
Brief history The highest individual
score in any match remains the
unbeaten 628 made by AEJ Collins
during a house match at Clifton
in 1899. A previous world record
(404 not out) was also scored at
Clifton, by EFS Tylecote for The
Classical v The Modern. One of
the home grounds of WG Grace
with Gloucestershire using the
school regularly until 1932. The
centrepiece of the school is the
1st XI ground immortalised in
the Newbolt poem, “There’s a
breathless hush in The Close
tonight”. There are few finer school
grounds, with the backdrop of
the college buildings providing a
wonderful stage to watch and play
Cricketers of note James Kirtley
(Sussex & England), Matt Windows
(Gloucestershire)
thecricketer.com / 17
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
DAUNTSEY’S SCHOOL
CRANBROOK SCHOOL
High Street
West Lavington
Devizes
Wiltshire
SN10 4HE
Waterloo Road
Cranbrook
Kent
TN17 3JD
Established 1542
Notable fixtures MCC,
Established 1518
Notable fixtures King’s Canterbury,
Sevenoaks
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB.
Girls compete in the county indoor
championship
Facilities Four indoor nets, two grass
squares
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history A state school where
cricket flourishes. The 1st XI have been
the winners of the Kent Under-19
league for three of the last five years.
The school plays regular Saturday
fixtures as well as games against MCC,
XL Club and overseas
touring teams. Winter
nets form a regular part
of the extracurricular
programme
Cricketers of note Phil
Edmonds (Middlesex &
England)
Extras The school runs an
academy with former Kent
slow left-armer Rob Ferley
in the autumn and spring
CRANLEIGH
SCHOOL
Horseshoe Lane
Cranleigh
Surrey
GU6 8QQ
Seam of talent:
Stuart Meaker
has played in
two one-day
internationals
for England
18 / thecricketer.com
Established 1865
Notable fixtures MCC, Wellington
College, Tonbridge, Harrow,
Charterhouse
Director of cricket Stuart Welch
Teams Five senior sides, three U15,
three U14, plus three girls’ teams at
U18, U15, U14
Facilities Dedicated two-lane indoor
school, 20 outdoor nets, five
squares including a six-bay net
area with fully synthetic run-ups
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Cricketers of note Stuart Meaker
(Surrey), Seren Waters (Kenya)
Extras 2014 saw the school win
both The Cricketer Cup (first in
Old Cranleighan history) and the
National Under-15 Cup (formerly
known as the Lord’s Taverners
Trophy) making the school the first
from Surrey to do so
Winchester, Clifton College,
Canford
Cricket professional Jon Ayling
(Hampshire)
Teams 12 sides from U12 to senior.
Girls’ cricket offered as an afterschool club with ad hoc fixtures
Facilities Four indoor nets, eight
grass and four synthetic-grass
nets, four grass squares, one
artificial pitch
Club/county affiliation Wiltshire
Brief history Dauntsey’s is located
on the northern edge of Salisbury
Plain, set within an estate of over
100 acres of idyllic countryside.
The school was founded by
London Alderman William
Dauntsey in order to provide
education for boys from poor
families in the local community. It
moved to its present site in 1895.
Girls were admitted for the first
time in 1971
Extras Close links with Wiltshire
cricket, the 1st XI ground is
frequently described by visitors
as one of the best school grounds
they have played on. A charming
setting, off the beaten track. Mark
Lascelles, former Shrewsbury
cricket master, is Dauntsey’s
current head. The school hosts the
MCC Foundation mid-Wiltshire
Hub and regularly stages county
age-group matches
DENSTONE COLLEGE
Uttoxeter
Staffordshire
ST14 5HN
Established 1873
Notable fixtures MCC, Bromsgrove,
Oundle, Nottingham High School,
Trent College, St Edward’s Oxford
Cricket professional Ian Trott (until
July 2015), Simon Guy (Yorkshire,
from September 2015)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB,
U14ABC, U13AB, U12AB
Facilities Three indoor nets, nine
outdoor nets, four cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Staffordshire
Cricketers of note Harvey Hosein
(Derbyshire), Greg Cork (Derbyshire),
Anish Kapil (Worcestershire, Surrey),
Nathan Dumelow (Derbyshire),
Tim Mason (Essex, Leicestershire),
Jeremy Snape (Northamptonshire,
Gloucestershire, Leicestershire)
Extras The school made the final
of the Lord’s Taverners Under-15
National 40-over competition in
2011 and were winners of the Lord’s
Taverners Under-15 National 40-over
competition in 2012
thecricketer.com / 19
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
DULWICH COLLEGE
Dulwich Common
London
SE21 7LD
DR CHALLONER’S
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
Established 1624
Notable fixtures MCC, Hampton,
St Albans, Berkhamsted, RGS High
Wycombe, Reading Bluecoat, Eton
Teams A and B teams (years 7 to 10,
plus occasional C-team fixtures).
Two senior teams, plus occasional
3rd XI fixtures
Facilities Two grounds, four
indoor nets
Club/county affiliation
Buckinghamshire
Brief history A state-funded
school where cricket has really
begun to flourish over the past
10 to 15 years. The junior teams
have recently made a habit of
winning the Bucks Cup and on a
couple of occasions the team
has gone on to the semi-final of
the nationals. The passion for
cricket comes from the headmaster
Mark Fenton. His enthusiastic
support led to major improvements
in facilities, including a relaid
square and new pavilion. This has
helped to raise the standard and
profile of cricket at DCGS and it is
20 / thecricketer.com
now seen as the flagship
sport. Well-supported by a
committed PE team and club
cricketers on the teaching staff.
The school undertakes bi-annual
tours to the Caribbean, generally
St Kitts and Nevis, for the
under-14 and 15 teams, which
are extremely rewarding for all
involved. A trip to India is slated
Extras Without the level of
investment of most independent
schools, Dr Challoner’s compete
strongly against the top schools
in its vicinity. The number of
cricketers who carry on playing
for their local after leaving
school is a hugely positive
aspect of the school’s cricket
programme. England women’s
team captain Charlotte Edwards
and former Australia captain
Michael Clarke have visited the
school to take some coaching and
pass on tips in recent years.
Clarke held a Q&A with Samit
Patel, of Nottinghamshire who
is in the United Arab Emirates
with England this autumn, and
then said: “I could see some of
the students becoming potential
players for England in future
Ashes series”
Established 1619
Notable fixtures MCC, Tonbridge,
Allrounder:
Chris Jordan did
his schooling at
Dulwich College
Harrow, Bedford, Incogniti (125 years
standing)
Cricket professional Bill Athey
(Yorkshire, Gloucestershire, Sussex &
England)
Teams From year 3 to year 13 – 45 teams
in total
Facilities Eight indoor cricket lanes,
24 synthetic-grass nets, plus 11 cricket
squares including a main site and the
Trevor Bailey Sports Ground
Club/county affiliation Surrey, London
Schools, and club links with Spencer
CC, Dulwich CC, Old Alleynian CC
Brief history Dulwich College has
long been renowned for its excellence
in cricket, noted by PG Wodehouse
and many generations of schoolboys,
parents and teachers since. Cricket has
been played for more than 140 years
Cricketers of note Trevor Bailey (Essex
& England), Roger Knight (Surrey),
Ruel Braithwaite (West Indies), Chris
Jordan (Surrey, Sussex & England)
Extras There is a rumour that the
term ‘Cow Corner’ originated at
Dulwich. Nine Old Alleynians have
been capped for their country
and four have been named
Wisden Cricketers of the Year
EASTBOURNE COLLEGE
Old Wish Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JY
Established 1867
Notable fixtures MCC, Tonbridge
Cricket professional Rob Ferley
(Kent, Nottinghamshire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI,
DURHAM SCHOOL
Quarryheads Lane
Durham
DH1 4SZ
Established 1414
Notable fixtures Woodhouse Grove,
Sedbergh, St Peter’s York, Ampleforth,
Bradford Grammar, RGS Newcastle,
MCC
Master i/c cricket Michael Fishwick.
Michael Hirsch has coached at the
school for 35 years
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14AB,
U13, U12. Talented girls play cricket
as part of boys’ teams
Facilities Indoor sports hall with
four lanes, plus a main and smaller
ground. Bow – the school’s junior
school – has a pitch
Club/county affiliation Durham,
Durham City CC
Brief history The school has had a
cricket team since 1847. 1866 saw
the establishing of the annual game
against St Peter’s York, and other
annual matches matches followed
against the likes of Sedbergh (1908),
Ampleforth (1915), Giggleswick (1933)
Barnard Castle (1937) and St Bees
(1938)
Cricketers of note Michael
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)
Extras A cricket history dating from
as early as 1847, for the past 35 years
the school has consistently produced
good young cricketers who have
played at all levels of the game
U15ABC, 14ABC. Girls at U15 level
with the school looking to expand
this programme. A cricket scholar
joins the sixth form after Christmas
for the first time
Facilities Gym space with two nets,
plus large indoor hall in planning
(scheduled to open in 2017, the
school’s 150th year). The school is
able to host five home games each
Saturday. An eight-lane artificial
facility is also on site
Club/county affiliation Sussex
Cricketers of note Ed Giddins
(Sussex, Warwickshire, Hampshire
& England), Matt Hobden
(Sussex), Harry Finch (Sussex)
Extras The Memorial Ground has
hosted county fixtures and College
Field is regarded as an iconic venue,
situated right on the south coast.
The current 1st and 2nd XIs are
the most successful in the school’s
history, recording 13 wins from 16
games. Openers Henry Braybrooke
and John Kelsey put on an
unbeaten 403 at the college in 1899
National service:
Ed Giddins won
four Test caps
for England
thecricketer.com / 21
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
EMANUEL SCHOOL
Battersea Rise
London
SW11 1HS
Established 1594
Notable fixtures Tiffin School, MCC
Head coach Mark Stear
1st XI coach Malcolm Roberts
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13AB, U12AB. Girls’ cricket runs
as an extracurricular option in the
summer term, with the school
running two squads at U13 and U15
levels
Facilities Two sites. The main school
is home to the main square, plus one
junior square with further access
to the Old Boys’ ground, Blagdons.
A sports hall with four indoor nets,
three outdoor synthetic-grass nets
and portable batting cage
Club/county affiliation Spencer CC,
Bank of England CC, Surrey
Brief history Emanuel was founded
in Elizabethan times by Lady Dacre
for the education of 10 boys and 10
girls. In 1873, the girls at the school
transferred to Grey Coat Hospital
and 10 years after that the boys’
school relocated to the current
site in Wandsworth. The school
became a voluntary-aided
22 / thecricketer.com
grammar school in 1944 until
it resumed its independent
status at the end of the 1970s. In
1995, Emanuel returned to being a
co-educational school
Cricketers of note Stuart Surridge
(Surrey), Ian Payne (Surrey,
Gloucestershire)
Extras The main school site sits in
walled grounds in central London,
just minutes from Clapham Junction.
The school has close links with
the Barmy Army Colts team and
has hosted fixtures against a
number of touring teams, including
a Darren Lehmann Academy side
from Adelaide. Last year an under-19
team formed by a Sri Lankan charity
– the Unity Squad representing the
Foundation of Goodness – played
at the school. Emanuel produced
the greatest captain in the history of
county cricket. Surridge led Surrey
to five County Championship
titles in succession, from 1952–56.
Four Surrey County Cricket Club
presidents (including Surridge) went
to Emanuel
EPSOM COLLEGE
Epsom
Surrey
Established 1855
Notable fixtures MCC
Cricket professional Neil Taylor
(Kent, Sussex & England A)
Teams Four senior XIs, U15AB,
U14AB. In 2016 the lower school will
open, offering fixtures at U12 and
U13 age groups. A single girls team is
compiled across all school years
Facilities Five indoor nets, nine
synthetic-grass surfaces, plus three
grass squares and one artificial
match pitch
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history Epsom College
competes on a strong schools’
circuit including matches against
Brighton College, Eastbourne and
Hurstpierpoint. Teams recently
toured Dubai and Barbados
Cricketers of note Natalie Sciver
(Sussex & England)
Extras The college runs eight
boys’ teams and one girls’.
The school also calls on
the expertise of Matt
Holmes, director of the
In-Touch Cricket Academy,
which is based at the college
All-round
ace: Natalie
Sciver has
won three
Test and 23
one-day
caps for
England
Award
Speciaclellence
for Ex
ETON COLLEGE
THE
CRICKETER
SPECIAL
AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE
Having
produced
more first-class
cricketers than
anyone else and
committing to
more cricket
than anywhere in
the country, Eton
continue to ‘do
cricket’ with great
success
Established 1444
Notable fixtures Millfield, MCC,
I Zingari, Harrow (at Lord’s),
Cowdrey Cup (Radley, Tonbridge,
Charterhouse, Wellington, Harrow),
Silk Trophy (Shrewsbury, Oundle)
Cricket professional Tim Roberts
(Lancashire, Northamptonshire).
John Rice (Hampshire) retired in
2014 after 30 years
Teams Six senior XIs, four U16, six
U15, seven U14
Facilities Three indoors nets and
two grass net areas (40m long by
4m high artificial area), 12 grass
squares and five synthetic-grass
match pitches
Windsor
SL4 6DW
Brief history The school has
produced in excess of 750 firstclass 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 School. August 2 1805
saw Eton v Harrow at Lord’s
(Eton won by the comprehensive
margin of an innings and two
runs). In1882, 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. GO ‘Gubby’ Allen
represented England in Australia
in 1932/33 and refused to bowl
bodyline. In 1961 Colin InglebyMackenzie captained Hampshire
to the County Championship.
1997/98 saw Matthew Fleming
represent England in 11 one-day
internationals. Will Vanderspar was
Wisden Schoolboy Cricketer of the
Year 2010
Cricketers of note Most recently
Alex Loudon (Warwickshire), 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
thecricketer.com / 23
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
FOREST SCHOOL
FELSTED SCHOOL
Felsted
Dunmow
Essex
CM6 3LL
Established 1564
Notable fixtures MCC, Bedford
School, Oakham, Oundle
Director of Cricket Jason Gallian
(Lancashire, Nottinghamshire,
Essex & England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI 3rd XI,
U15ABC, U14ABC, plus two ‘open’
girls’ teams
2 College Place
London
E17 3PY
Facilities Five indoor nets, 10
artificial nets, five grounds
plus three more available at the
associated prep school
Club/county affiliation Essex
Cricketers of note Nick Knight
(Warwickshire, Essex & England),
Derek Pringle (Essex & England),
John Stephenson (Essex,
Hampshire & England)
Extras The school’s first cricket field
was created in 1805. Pupils play
cricket from year 3 (age 8) and it is
the main summer sport in both the
senior and prepatory schools
Established 1834
Notable fixtures MCC, Highgate,
Ardingly College
Cricket professional James Foster
The cap fits:
Old boy Nasser
Hussain had a
great England
career
24 / thecricketer.com
(Essex & England)
Teams U12ABC, U13ABC, U14ABC,
U15AB, 2nd XI, 1st XI. Girls’ U13, U15
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
Cricketers of note James Foster
(Essex & England), Nasser Hussain
(Essex & England)
Extras The school runs a cricket
exchange programme with St
Stithian’s College in Johannesburg,
South Africa and bi-annual overseas
cricket tours with recent trips to
venues such as Trinidad & Tobago,
Sri Lanka, St Lucia and Barbados
FRAMLINGHAM COLLEGE
College Road
Framlingham
Suffolk
IP13 9EY
Established 1865
Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Ladies,
Essex Development
Cricket professional Ben France
(Derbyshire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI,
U14ABCD, U15ABC. Girls’ 1st XI,
2nd XI, U15AB, U14A
Facilities Three indoor nets, eight
grass nets, four synthetic-grass
nets, plus four squares
Club/county affiliation Essex,
Northamptonshire
Cricketers of note Herbert Wilson
(Sussex), Norman Borrett (Essex),
David Larter (Northamptonshire &
England) Ashley Cowan (Essex), Rob
Newton (Northamptonshire)
Extras Framlingham is not a large
school, but is proud of its history
and passionate about its cricket,
with headmaster Paul Taylor a
former Surrey player. A fourth
square was added in 2015 with
outline plans for a fifth to be laid in
the shadow of the magnificent 12thcentury Framlingham Castle, as
well as a state-of-the-art pavilion.
2015 saw the addition of an U14D
team despite a year group boasting
only 44 boys. Pupils are exposed to a
wide variety of formats from eighta-side house matches, in coloured
clothing, to two-day fixtures, plus
tours to Sri Lanka, Barbados and
the UAE. Prep school Brandeston
Hall benefits from coaching from
the school professional
GEORGE
WATSON’S
COLLEGE
69 -71 Colinton
Road
Edinburgh
EH10 5EG
Established 1741
Notable fixtures MCC
Teams Six junior sides and eight at
senior level. Two girls’ teams that have
been Scottish champions two years in
a row at U15 and 1st XI
Facilities Four squares, two syntheticgrass pitches, 10 artificial-turf nets, four
indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Watsonians CC,
Eastern Region
Brief history George Watson’s College
is one of the largest single-campus
schools in the UK. Founded in 1741, it is
one of Scotland’s leading independent
schools and is widely renowned for its
sporting excellence. In 2015 the school
won all three major Scottish sporting
competitions in rugby, hockey and
cricket, being the first school to do so
Cricketers of note Alasdair Evans
(Derbyshire & Scotland), Dewald Nel
(Kent & Scotland), Neil McCallum
(Scotland)
Extras The school’s Myreside square
was recently used in the ICC World
T20 qualifiers. The school has, for
the last two seasons, won three of
the four national competitions –
including, in 2015, becoming 1st XI
Scottish Champions. The under15s compete in the East District
T20 tournaments, with the winner
advancing to the Scottish finals. The
school’s alumni club, Watsonians, play
in the top National League, and were
crowned as Scottish champions as
recently as 2012
Great Scot: Neil McCallum has scored two
centuries in 43 ODIs for the national side
thecricketer.com / 25
Boys 13 - 18 • Boarding and Day
Cowdrey Scholarship
In memory of Colin Cowdrey, legendary England captain
and Old Tonbridgian, we offer scholarships
for sporting excellence
Contact Admissions on
01732 304297
[email protected]
www.tonbridge-school.co.uk
@TonbridgeUK
/TonbridgeUK
Bede’s Cricket Academy
1st XI Sussex Champions – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014
1st XI South East Regional Champions – 2011, 2012, 2013
1st XI South of England Champions – 2012, 2013
1st XI National Runners Up – 2012, 2013
Girls’ U15 Lord’s Taverners National Finalist – 2011
U12, U13, U14 Sussex Champions – 2015
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
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)
Bede’s Senior School
Upper Dicker
East Sussex BN27 3QH
bedes.org
BEDES_TheCricketer_128x198mm.indd 1
HMC – Day, weekly and full boarding
Boys and girls 13 to 18
For more information please contact:
[email protected] T 01323 843252
17/09/2015 10:37
HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S
BOYS’ SCHOOL
Butterfly Lane
Elstree
Hertfordshire
WD6 3AF
Established 1690
Notable fixtures Bancroft’s,
Berkhamsted, Felsted, MCC,
Merchant Taylors’, St Albans
Cricket professional No cricket
professional as such, but Doug
Yeabsley (Devon) was a full-time
member of staff for many years.
James Hewitt (Middlesex, Kent) is
employed by both Haberdashers’
and Middlesex as part of a
developing partnership between
school and county
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
5th XI, U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC,
U12ABC, plus prep school A and B
teams at U11, U10, U9 and U8 age
groups. An all-boys school that
offers coaching for the girls’ ‘sister’
school
Facilities Three grass squares,
three synthetic-grass strips, three
artificial-turf nets, five grass nets
and an ‘open’ net plus a two-lane
indoor centre that includes instantreplay and video-analysis systems
Club/county affiliation Hertfordshire,
Middlesex, plus links with clubs
Sidmouth and Exeter in Devon
Cricketers of note Richard Yeabsley
(Middlesex). His father, Doug
Yeabsley, was offered a contract by
Warwickshire but chose to teach
chemistry and coach rugby and
cricket instead
Extras There is huge enthusiasm for
cricket, particularly from within the
school’s Asian community
HAILEYBURY
Haileybury
Hertford
SG13 7NU
Established 1862
Notable fixtures MCC, plus two-day
Big hit: Sam
Billings has
broken into
England’s
one-day set-up
games v Cheltenham College and
Berkhamsted
Cricket professional DLS van
Bunge (Middlesex & Holland),
GP Howarth (Surrey &
New Zealand)
Teams U13ABCD, U14ABC, U15AB,
1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, plus a girls’ U18
team, selected from all ages
Facilities 15 nets, including three
indoor lanes, plus five full grounds
Club/county affiliation
Hertfordshire, with club links to
Hertford CC and Hoddesdon CC
Brief history The match between
Haileybury and Cheltenham
began in 1893 and was played at
Lord’s until 1968. All of the school’s
cricketing history is contained
within a fact-filled book entitled
Haileybury Cricket written by
David Rimmer. The book is
held within the historic pavilion,
a listed building, designed by
Reginald Bloomfield. Past
cricket professionals
include Graham
Barlow (Middlesex), Jeremy Lloyds
(Gloucestershire) and more recently
Nic Pothas (Hampshire) and
Michael Cawdron (Gloucestershire,
Northamptonshire). There have
been 91 first-class cricketers from
the school with England one-day
star Sam Billings being the most
recent
Cricketers of note Sam Billings (Kent
& England), RJO Meyer (future
founder of Millfield School), AJT
Miller (Middlesex), Maharajkumar
of Vizianagram, who went on to
captain India on a tour of England
in the early 1900s
Extras Set among highly
picturesque grounds, Haileybury
upholds a fine tradition of
producing top-class cricketers.
Many other cricketing enthusiasts
have emanated from Haileybury
including former prime minister
Clement Attlee. Sir Donald
Bradman famously visited the
school and bequeathed his Baggy
Green, which lay in the Long Room
for many years before the school
loaned it to Cricket Australia.
Former Holland leg-spinner Daan
van Bunge is director of cricket,
while ex-New Zealand captain
Geoff Howarth spends the
summer term with the school
thecricketer.com / 27
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
HAMPTON SCHOOL
Hanworth Road
Hampton
Middlesex
TW12 3HD
Established 1556
Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow,
Dulwich College, Whitgift (two-day
game)
Cricket professional Chris Harrison
(with Ami Banerjee as head of cricket)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
U15ABC, U14ABCD, U13ABC, U12ABC
Facilities Five indoor nets, six cricket
squares, plus a single artificial
match strip
Club/county affiliation Middlesex
Brief history The school’s current
cricket fixture list is strong, with 17
teams competing across multiple
formats, and junior teams entered
in the Middlesex Cup. Bi-annual
major tours, the most recent being a
December 2013 trip to Mumbai and
Chennai. The junior teams tour Dubai
and Guernsey each year as part of
pre-season preparation
Cricketers of note Toby Roland-Jones
(Middlesex) and Zafar Ansari (Surrey)
THE
CRICKETER
SPECIAL
AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE
Incredible
history and
still producing
cricketers of
outstanding
pedigree in
the modern
era, Harrow
continue to
hold firm as a
top cricketing
school
HARROW SCHOOL
5 High St
Harrow on the Hill
Middlesex
HA1 3HP
Established 1615
Notable fixtures Eton at Lord’s, MCC,
Cowdrey Cup (Wellington, Tonbridge,
Radley), Charterhouse Cricket professional Stephen Jones
(Western Province)
28 / thecricketer.com
Teams Four senior teams, three U16,
five U15, six U14
Facilities A two-lane purpose-built
indoor school that includes video
playback, eight artificial and four grass
outdoor nets. Plus nine grounds, all
served by excellent pavilions
Club/county affiliation Middlesex
Brief history Cricket has long-played a
major part in the life of Harrow. In the
period from 1850-1939 this was largely
due to the social significance of the
Spe
for Exccial Award
ellenc
e
Eton match at Lord’s, which, along with
Henley Regatta, sailing at Cowes and
racing at Ascot, became part of the
‘London Season’. The first recorded
match in 1805 gained publicity from
the presence in the Harrow team of
the poet, Byron. He was no cricketer,
indeed he had a ‘club foot’ and batted
with a runner, but talked a good game
Cricketers of note Robin Marlar
(Sussex), Tony Pigott (Sussex, Surrey
& England), Sam Northeast (Kent),
Nick Compton (Middlesex, Somerset
& England), Gary Ballance (Derbyshire,
Yorkshire & England)
Extras Eton v Harrow is the oldest
school fixture played at Lord’s. All nine
of the grounds at Harrow are only used
for cricket in the summer term and so
spend the winter under preparation
IPSWICH SCHOOL
25 Henley Road
Ipswich
IP1 3SG
HURSTPIERPOINT
COLLEGE
College Lane
Hurstpierpoint
Hassocks
West Sussex
BN6 9JS
Established 1849
Notable fixtures MCC, Eastbourne,
Cranleigh, Whitgift
Cricket professionals Jon Lewis
(Gloucestershire, Surrey &
England), Jerry Heath, Phil
Hudson
Teams 12 senior school teams,
with between eight and 10
teams at prep school with
girls able to opt for cricket
as a summer sport,
supporting a senior and a
junior team
Facilities Eight grass
squares, 10 grass nets, five
synthetic-grass nets and a
six-lane sports hall
Club/county affiliation
Sussex
Brief history Although
the school was founded
in 1849, it is clear that
cricket was played
earlier when at Shoreham. In recent
years the school has had success
winning the Woodard Schools
Festival on a number of occasions,
the Langdale T20 Trophy (twice in
the last three years), and in 2015
winning the National Schools
T20. The under-15s play in the
Blackshaw T20 Cup and the under14s in The Lord’s Taverners Trophy
Cricketers of note Martin Speight
(Sussex, Durham), Justin Bates
(Sussex)
Extras Hurstpierpoint has one
of the world’s largest cricket
squares. The school has
toured India, Malta, Dubai and
Cape Town in recent years. While
at Hurstpierpoint, Martin Speight
was chosen to play for the South of
England with Nasser Hussain,
Angus Fraser and Mark
Ramprakash. With a number
of players in the Sussex
County Cricket Club Academy
and the Emerging Players
Programme, the future is
looking bright for the school
Entertainer: Martin
Speight was a gifted
strokemaker
Established 1399
Notable fixtures MCC, Felsted
Cricket professional Ray East (Essex)
Teams 13 teams, plus girls at ages
U13, 15 and U18
Facilities An indoor cricket school
with two nets, plus four nets in the
sports hall. Two grounds with five
squares plus 10 synthetic-grass nets
Club/county affiliation Suffolk
Cricketers of note Gul Khan (Essex),
Nadeem Shahid (Essex, Surrey)
Extras Former Essex legend Ray
East heads the coaching team. The
school regularly hosts Suffolk in the
Minor Counties Championship
at Ivry Street. It regularly tours
the Caribbean, and also boasts
a comprehensive programme
of cricket for girls, with Stuart
Furmston heading it up
Stalwart:
Nadeem Shahid
enjoyed a long
career with
Surrey
thecricketer.com / 29
Top 100 Schools
KING EDWARD VI SCHOOL
Wilton Road
Southampton
Hampshire
SO15 5UQ
Established Charter signed 1553,
opened in 1554
Notable fixtures Bradfield,
Portsmouth Grammar School,
Bryanston, MCC
Teams U12ABC, U13ABC, U14AB,
U15AB, 1stXI, 2nd XI
Facilities Sports hall with four
indoor nets. Four outdoor nets,
plus four cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Hampshire
Cricketers of note Simon Francis
(Hampshire, Somerset & England
A), Jimmy Gray, (Hampshire), Iain
Brunnschweiler (Hampshire), Joe
Weatherly (Hampshire & England
Under-19s captain 2015)
Extras Debate could rage at the
Francis Christmas dinner table
about who is the best cricketer
to come out of the school. Simon
Francis took 136 wickets in 60
first-class matches at 41.13, and
77 List A wickets at 34.33 in 70
games (including 8 for 66 against
Derbyshire in the C&G Trophy in
2004). Younger brother John Francis,
34, scored six centuries (including
four in 2005), with 2,748 first-class
runs and 1,827 List A runs
Big brother: Simon Francis was accurate
30 / thecricketer.com
KING’S
COLLEGE
SCHOOL
Southside
Wimbledon
Common
London
SW19 4TT
Established 1829
Notable fixtures MCC, Dulwich College
Cricket professionals Gary Butcher
(Surrey, Glamorgan), Sean Davies
(Zimbabwe)
Teams 49 teams at junior and senior
school – U8A-G, U9A-G, U10A-F,
U11A-F, U12A-E, U13A-E, U14A-D,
U15A-D, 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
5thXI
Facilities 13 bays including six grass nets
at school and off-site at the Kingsway
and Grand Drive facilities, plus the
main 1st XI ground and two additional
grass squares, four indoor nets, two
off-site grass squares with eight
synthetic-grass nets and two further
artificial surfaces for matches
Club/county affiliation Wimbledon CC
Brief history Cricket at King’s has always
been an integral part of schooling.
King’s is one of very few to put out a
5th XI during the summer term. The
cricket benefits from excellent facilities
and a fantastic coaching structure.
Boasting a strong academic reputation,
Ruari Crichard and Alex Hunt played
in the 2015 Varsity match at Lord’s,
representing Cambridge University
Cricketers of note Russell Cake, Samir
Sheikh
Extras Twelve teams are regularly
fielded on a very competitive circuit
under head of cricket James Gibson:
four at under-14 level, four at under-15
level and four senior sides. The school
plays matches against Whitgift,
Dulwich, Winchester, St Paul’s and
St John’s Leatherhead, and have
undertaken tours to the Caribbean and
Sri Lanka
KING’S COLLEGE,
TAUNTON
South Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA1 3LA
Established 1879
Notable fixtures Cardiff MCCU,
Exeter University, Millfield, MCC,
Whitgift, Eton
Director of cricket Phil Lewis
(Somerset)
Cricket professionals Rob
Woodman (Somerset,
Gloucestershire), Dennis Breakwell
(Somerset)
Teams Four senior teams and four
junior teams aged 13 to 18. Two girls’
teams at U15 and 1st XI level
Facilities Six squares all in close
proximity, six grass nets and eight
artificial strips, four indoor nets, four
bowling machines, three cricket
pavilions
Club/county affiliation Somerset,
Gloucestershire, Glamorgan
Brief history King’s has been a
dominant force on its circuit over
recent years. The school continues
to produce fine young cricketers
for Somerset under the 30-year
guidance of groundsman and
professional, Dennis Breakwell
Cricketers of note Jos Buttler
(Somerset, Lancashire & England),
Roger Twose (Warwickshire &
New Zealand), Richard Harden
(Somerset), Nicholas Boulton
(Somerset, Worcestershire), Tom
Webley (Somerset), Phil Lewis
(Somerset), Craig Meschede
(Somerset, Glamorgan), Alex
Barrow (Somerset), Charlie
Morris (Worcestershire), James
Regan (Somerset), Neil Brand
(Glamorgan)
Extras For a school of only 450
pupils, King’s College boasts
the reputation of regularly
Hand it to him: Jos
beating schools with
Butler is England’s
double that number
wicketkeeper
KINGSWOOD SCHOOL,
BATH
Lansdown Road
Bath
BA1 5RG
Established 1748
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club,
Clifton College
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB,
U14AB, U13AB, U12AB. Girls enter
Lady Taverners competition at U13
and U15 level
Facilities Four indoor lanes, five
outdoor synthetic nets, three grass
nets, four cricket squares
Club/county affiliation Somerset,
Bath CC
Brief history In 2015 the school 1st
XI went unbeaten in the local Peak
Sports League
Cricketers of note Charles Morris
(Worcestershire), Tim Rouse
(Somerset)
Extras The school regularly fields
10 teams from year 7 up to the sixth
form. Most fixtures take place on
Saturdays but there are several
friendly and cup matches during
the week. Junior teams take part
in regular weekend block fixtures
against schools from the southwest. A strong link with Bath
Cricket Club exists
thecricketer.com / 31
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
LEICESTER GRAMMAR
SCHOOL
London Road
Great Glen
Leicester
LE8 9FL
LANCING COLLEGE
Lancing
West Sussex
BN15 0RW
Established 1848
Notable fixtures Bede’s, Eastbourne
College, Hurstpierpoint, MCC
Cricket professional Rajesh Maru
(Hampshire)
Teams The school runs six teams
with girls cricket in the early stages of
development
Facilities Sports hall with two nets plus
open area for group work
Club/county affiliation Sussex
Cricketers of note Mason
Crane (Hampshire)
Extras Cricket is coached
against an ethos of taking each
individual player to their highest
level of attainment. Recent pupil
Mason Crane is already involved with
the England set-up
32 / thecricketer.com
Spin king:
Mason Crane
bowls for
Hampshire
Established 1981
Notable fixtures MCC,
Loughborough Grammar, Oundle,
Gentlemen of Leicester
Master i/c cricket Laurie Potter
(Kent, Leicestershire)
Teams U9, U10, U11, U12AB, U13AB,
U14AB, U15AB, 1st XI 2nd XI, U18
girls, U15 girls, U13 girls
Facilities Three indoor nets, seven
grass nets, three artificial strips,
two cricket squares over two
grounds
Club/county affiliation The school
work with many local clubs
and also Leicestershire Young
Cricketers, Leicestershire County
Cricket Club and the City Cricket
Academy, who have summer camps
at LGS, playing matches on Sundays
free of charge
Brief history Leicester Grammar
School is a young school and the
cricket set-up even younger. A
minimal amount of cricket was
played there before 1994 but with
the appointment of a formal master
in charge, cricket became more of a
focus. A regular fixture list has been
developed with more than 70 games
of cricket played by representative
teams from LGS in 2015. Fixture
formats vary from T20 games to an
all-day fixture against MCC. In 2008
the school moved to a purpose-built
site with facilities to develop the
game at all levels. Coaching takes
place throughout the year with the
school touring Barbados in 2014.
In 2015 under-13 teams toured
Holland
Cricketers of note Avish Patel
(Cambridge University)
Extras Different to many
independent schools, LGS plays
cricket midweek rather than
the more traditional Saturday
cricket. Pupil Lucy Higham has
excelled at the game, representing
Leicestershire Under-17s and the
senior team. “Lucy has a fantastic
attitude,” Potter said. “She
is keen to learn and just wants to
work and play the game. She is a
very fine prospect in my eyes.”
The school hosted a T20 tournament
for youngsters during the summer,
with some travelling from as far as
India and the United Arab Emirates.
Former Pakistan allrounder
Mudassar Nazar accompanied one
of the under-13 teams who had
travelled from Dubai
LORETTO SCHOOL
1-7 Linkfield Road
Musselburgh
EH21 7RE
Established 1827
Notable fixtures MCC, Fettes,
LORD WANDSWORTH
COLLEGE
Long Sutton
Hook
Hampshire
RG29 1TB
Established 1928
Notable fixtures MCC, Reed’s
Master i/c cricket David Beven
Teams Ten boys’ teams, one girls’
team – they are the reigning
Hampshire champions
Facilities Six squares that include
two artificial pitches, 10 outdoor
nets with two artificial surfaces,
plus four further indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Hampshire
Brief history From humble
beginnings, LWC cricket has become
a force to be reckoned with. 1st XI
teams have been able to hold their
own on a strong circuit
Cricketers of note Michael Bates
(Somerset, Hampshire)
Extras Grounds regularly used
by county and district teams
with quality pitches courtesy of
groundsman Alistair Cotton and
his team. 2003 Rugby World Cup
winner Jonny Wilkinson is a
former student
Merchiston Castle, Glenalmond,
Strathallan, Edinburgh Academy
Cricket professional John Blain
(Northamptonshire, Yorkshire &
Scotland)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB,
U14, U13, U12, U11, U10AB, U9 plus a
squad of 20 girl cricketers
Facilities Three squares (one main
oval called Pinkie and two ‘nursery’
grounds called Newfield), four
indoor nets, plus a six-lane practice
area
Club/county affiliation Grange CC,
Edinburgh
Cricketers of note Sam Hain
(Warwickshire), George Munsey
(Scotland), Simon Smith (Scotland)
Extras Cricket was introduced as
a summer sport in the 1860s by
the pioneering headmaster Hely
Hutchison Almond. The first official
school matches were played against
Edinburgh Academy as early as 1863.
These were two-innings games.
In 1884 it ended in a two-day draw
after Loretto compiled 407 before
allowing their opponents only one
hour to make the runs (finishing 21
for 4). This was in the days when it
was against the rules to declare
Bearing up: Sam
Hain has shone for
Warwickshire
thecricketer.com / 33
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
LOUGHBOROUGH
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
MAGDALEN COLLEGE
SCHOOL, OXFORD
Established 1495
Notable fixtures MCC, Manchester
Established 1480
Notable fixtures MCC, Abingdon,
St Edwards, Rugby, Haberdashers’
Aske’s, Marlborough, Radley,
Eton, Melbourne Grammar School
(Australia)
Head cricket coach Alan Duncan
Head of cricket David Bebbington
Cricket professional Phillip DeFreitas
(Leicestershire, Lancashire,
Derbyshire & England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
U15ABC, U14ABC, U13ABC, U12ABC,
plus girls’ cricket played during
sixth-form games sessions
Facilities A five-lane indoor cricket
facility with three bowling machines,
plus a Merlin spin-bowling machine,
eight grass nets, eight grounds
(includes a network of grounds
within Oxford University Colleges)
Club/county affiliation Sussex, plus a
formal partnership with Magdalen
College School, Oxford, as part of the
existing tie-up with the Oxfordshire
Cricket Board
Brief history Founded in 1480 by
William Waynflete, MCS 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
3 Burton Walks
Loughborough
LE11 2DU
Cowley Place
Oxford
OX4 1DZ
Grammar School
Master i/c cricket Martyn Gidley
(Leicestershire, Free State,
Griqualand West)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13AB, U12AB
Facilities Main square plus two
junior squares on site, plus three
additional squares at the nearby
village of Quorn, four indoor nets, 10
lanes outside, eight further lanes at
Quorn
Club/county affiliation
Leicestershire
Brief history Founded in 1495
by prosperous wool merchant
Thomas Burton. In the early 1850s
demand for space motivated the
move from the heart of the town
to the leafy Walks and beautiful
Victorian gothic buildings evident
today. Since then award-winning
architects have added to the
original building, meticulously
adhering to its distinctive style
Cricketers of note Harry Gurney
(Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire
& England), Shiv Thakor
(Leicestershire, Derbyshire), Chris
Hawkes (Leicestershire), Wayne
Dessaur (Notts, Derbyshire),
Michael Davies (Northamptonshire)
34 / thecricketer.com
Pace ace:
Harry
Gurney
in action
for Notts
via two listed white bridges. The
cricket ground is considered one
of the most picturesque grounds
in England, with the backdrop of
punts on the Cherwell, the Botanic
Gardens, Magdalen Tower and the
dreaming spires beyond. In 1913
the unique and iconic pavilion was
built and now stands as a tribute
to those who played, only to lose
their lives in The Great War. Today’s
school has expanded to become a
centre of academic excellence while
maintaining a formidable sporting
profile both locally and regionally
Cricketers of note David Ligertwood
(Durham, Surrey), John Martin
(Somerset), Francis Roberts
(Gloucestershire), Arthur Roberts
(Gloucestershire), Octavius Radcliffe
(Gloucestershire, Somerset)
Extras The school hosts an annual
two-day U15 T20 festival involving
eight teams, including Eton College.
In recent years MCS has hosted the
Lashings World XI and the PCA.
School Field is the only ‘island’
cricket ground in schools’ cricket.
Don Bradman played at the school’s
Christ Church ground three times
for Australia (1930, 1934 and 1938)
versus Oxford University, averaging
only 42. The record ‘biggest hit’ (as
recorded by Wisden) was made on
the school’s Christ Church ground in
1856 (the Rev W Fellows drove a ball
bowled by Charles Rogers 175 yards
from hit to pitch). John Crawley
(Cambridge University, Lancashire,
Hampshire & England) is a previous
head of cricket
MALVERN
COLLEGE
College Road
Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 3DF
Established 1865
Notable fixtures MCC, Shrewsbury,
Harrow, Repton, Wellington College,
Bradfield, Millfield
Cricket professional Noel Brett
Teams Nine sides aged 14 and above
plus girls in the two senior years with
games played against Shrewsbury and
Clifton College
Facilities Three grounds, four artificial
nets, 16 grass nets plus a specific indoor
cricket facility with eight lanes
Club/county affiliation Worcestershire
Brief history The Tolchard brothers JG,
RC and RW, were outstanding players
in the 1960s. Roger, the youngest,
playing four times for England in India
Cricketers of note AH Stratford
(Middlesex, plus football for England v
Scotland 1876), RE Foster (represented
his country at cricket and football and
the only man still to captain England in
both sports), GH Simpson-Hayward
(regarded as the last great underarm bowler, who actually bowled
over-arm at school), Ricardo Ellcock
(Worcestershire, Middlesex), David
Driving force: Middlesex’s David Nash
Nash (Middlesex), Mark Hardinges
(Gloucestershire, Essex), Tom KöhlerCadmore (Worcs, the school’s first
WCCC Academy scholar, Wisden
Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 2013)
Extras Malvern has a strong cricketing
tradition, illustrated by performances
not only at 1st XI level, but also of the
Old Malvernians in The Cricketer Cup.
Positive recruitment and strategic
alliances has seen Malvern emerge
as one of the country’s cricketing
institutions. Nor can there be many
more spectacular settings for a ground
than the Senior Turf at Malvern – to the
east the Bredon Hill, the Severn Valley
and the Cotswolds and to the west the
backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Local
playing regulations sees sixes only
recorded as fours at Malvern
thecricketer.com / 35
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE
Bath Road
Marlborough
SN8 1PA
Established 1843
Notable fixtures MCC, Rugby, Radley,
Eton, Winchester, Cheltenham,
Sherborne, Wellington College
Cricket professional Former
Leicestershire captain Nigel Briers, but
appointing new professional autumn
2015
Teams Five U18 teams, three U16 teams,
four U15 teams, five U14 teams, with
girls integrated into boys teams
Facilities Sports hall with five indoor
nets, nine grounds, 14 synthetic-grass
nets and two batting cages
36 / thecricketer.com
Club/county affiliation Marlborough
CC, Hampshire, Middlesex, Wiltshire
Brief history By 1849 – six years after
the college started – the boys had
begun levelling a ground and had
formed a cricket club. Until 1972 the
Marlborough v Rugby match was
a regular fixture at Lord’s and since
then the two schools have played an
annual two-day match
Cricketers of note AG Steel (played
in first ever Test in 1880 and his
name features on the Ashes urn),
Christopher Martin-Jenkins (former
Champion
of cricket:
Christopher
Martin-Jenkins
editor of The Cricketer, correspondent
of The Times and MCC president)
Extras Briers is leaving after 19 years
at the school, and they marked his
departure with a thrilling victory in the
two-day colours match against Rugby
School. Charlotte Bawden (Surrey
U19) made her debut for the 1st XI in
2015. The pavilion (built in 1874) was
designed by Victorian architect
Alfred Waterhouse, who is
famous for designing the
Natural History Museum and
Manchester Town Hall
NEW HALL SCHOOL
The Avenue
Boreham
Chelmsford
Essex
CM3 3HS
MILLFIELD SCHOOL
Butleigh Road
Street
Somerset
BA16 0YD
Established 1935
Notable fixtures Surrey Academy,
Worcestershire Academy,
Gloucestershire Academy, MCC,
Wales U17
Master i/c cricket Richard Ellison
(Kent & England)
Director of Coaching Mark Garaway
(Hampshire)
Teams 14 teams aged 14 to 18 with
girls playing at U17 and U15 level
with fixtures that include matches
Spe
for Exccial Award
ellenc
e
against Wales U17, RAF Ladies
and MCC
Facilities Eight indoor nets,
a bank of 12 grass nets, nine
artificial outdoor nets across six
grounds
Club/county affiliation Millfield is
fortunate to have associations with
a number of professional county
clubs
Cricketers of note Ian Ward (Surrey,
Sussex & England), Paul Terry
(Hampshire), Kieran Powell (West
Indies), Craig Kieswetter (Somerset)
Extras The diverse nature of the
fixture list makes for challenging
cricket. The school boasts views of
Glastonbury Tor
THE CRICKETER SPECIAL
AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
The modern powerhouse of schools
cricket. A commitment to coaching
(Somerset’s Alfonso Thomas has
recently added his name to the
coaches’ roster), a commitment
to testing its players at 1st XI level
with arguably the toughest and
broadest fixture list in existence,
a commitment to the highest
possible standard of facilities makes
Millfield’s dominance set only to
continue
Established 1632
Notable fixtures MCC
Cricket professional Nasser Hussain
(Essex & England)
Teams U12ABC, U13AB, U14AB,
U15AB, 2nd XI, 1st XI. Girls’ cricket at
U11, U13 and U15
Facilities Six squares, four outdoor
nets, two indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Essex
Brief history With the school moving
to a co-educational student body
only 10 years ago, cricket has grown
rapidly. The school has recently
toured Dubai and Sri Lanka.
New Hall are currently county
champions at under-14 and under-15
age groups
Extras Having former England
batsman and captain Nasser Hussain
as the school’s cricket professional
since 2010 has significantly raised the
standard of the game at the school
Batting master: Nasser Hussain
thecricketer.com / 37
The Mary Erskine School
Stewart’s Melville College
The Junior School
Enjoyment and
excellence for all
Stewart’s
Melville College
Whether our boys want to
compete internationally or simply
enjoy recreational sport, many
take inspiration from the School’s
sporting greats. This legacy
serves to encourage every boy to
develop his talent and strive to
be the best he can be.
• Featured in the UK's Top 100
Cricketing Schools 2015 by The
Cricketer Magazine
Discover
cricket at
• Scottish Independent Schools' T20
Cricket Cup Winners in 2012,
Joint Winners in 2013 and Finalists
in 2014
Boarding and Day school in
Edinburgh, Scotland
0131 311 1111
[email protected]
www.esms.org.uk
Haileybury offers coaching by an international cricket
professional, sports scholarships and a high performance
programme. For more information contact the Registrar
at: [email protected] or: 01992 706353
Haileybury is a leading independent co-educational
boarding school for 11–18 years located 20 miles north
of London near Hertford.
The Sunday Times, Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year
Stewart’s Melville College - 2013 The Mary Erskine School - 2012
Merchant Company Education Board Schools. Registered Charity No. SC009747
Lancing College
Senior School & Sixth Form
Apply now for our Peter Robinson Cricket
Scholarship for Year 9 entry in 2016.
This award is open to all boys and girls with
cricketing potential from any school.
Closing date 18 January 2016
[email protected] • 01273 465805
www.lancingcollege.co.uk
haileybury.com
@HaileyburyUK
Registered charity number 310013
HaileyburyUK
OAKHAM SCHOOL
NOTTINGHAM HIGH
SCHOOL
Waverley Mount
Nottingham
NG7 4ED
GETTY IMAGES (3)
Established 1513
Notable fixtures MCC, Repton, Trent
College
Cricket professional Gary Lambert
Teams U9AB, U10AB, U11AB, U12ABC,
U13ABC, U14ABC, U15ABC, 1st XI,
2nd XI, 3rd XI. Girls’ cricket will be
a brand-new addition in 2016 as the
school becomes co-educational from
September 2015
Facilities Four cricket squares
and eight grass nets. Sports hall
comprising four ECB International
Level-specification cricket nets and
cricket lighting, plus ECB-approved
playing surface
Club/county affiliation
Nottinghamshire Cricket Board
Cricketers of note Reg Simpson
(Nottinghamshire & 27 Tests for
England), Mark Saxelby (Notts,
Durham)
Extras Steve Adshead
(Gloucestershire) and Iain Sutcliffe
(Lancashire) have taken coaching
sessions at the school in recent times
Star of his day: Reg Simpson played 27 Tests
Great shot: The late Mark Saxelby
Chapel Close
Market Place
Oakham
Rutland
LE15 6DT
Established 1584
Notable fixtures MCC, Leicestershire
Gents, XL Club, Holcot Arcadians,
BOWS festival (Brighton College,
Oakham, Wellington, Sedbergh)
Teams Seniors 1st to 4th XI; U15ABC,
U14ABCD, Jerwoods (U13) 1st to
4th XI
Facilities Six grounds, 14 grass and
eight artificial nets, plus four
indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Oakham CC,
Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire,
Northamptonshire
Cricketers of note Stuart
Broad (Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire & England),
Matt Boyce (Leicestershire),
Josh Cobb (Leicestershire,
Northamptonshire), Ian Saxelby
(Notts, Gloucestershire), Tom
Fell (Worcestershire), Alex Wyatt
(Leicestershire)
Extras Leicestershire played at
picturesque Oakham School, with
its excellently appointed pavilion,
until recently. Former England
men Frank Hayes (Lancashire)
and 1975 Ashes hero David Steele
(Northamptonshire, Derbyshire)
stewarded great success at the
school over a number of years
Warrior spirit:
England batsman
David Steele
thecricketer.com / 39
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
ORMSKIRK
SCHOOL
Wigan Road
Ormskirk
Lancashire
L39 2AT
Established 1612. The amalgamation of
two schools (Cross Hall High School
and Ormskirk Grammar School)
formed Ormskirk School in 2001
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club
Teams Boys year 7 to 10 and 1st XI.
Girls’ U13, U15 & 1st XI. The school
supports a particularly strong
programme of girls’ cricket proving
winners of the Lady Taverners
competition in 2013 and 2015 and
Chance To Shine winners in 2013
Facilities Indoor nets, outdoor nets,
plus two grounds at St Helens Road
and the use of Ormskirk Cricket Club
Club/county affiliation Lancashire
County Cricket Board
Brief history The market town of
Ormskirk has a proud cricketing
heritage (Merseyside competition
winners 2014) and the former members
of the school have always been present
in the Ormskirk 1st XI. When cricket
became dormant in comprehensive
schools in the 1990s the school
continued to retain a Saturday fixture
list and to promote the sport through
a parents’ support group which
raised funds and supported staff. The
appointment of Laura Goff in 2003
was the catalyst for girls’ cricket to take
off in the school, which has gone from
strength to strength
Cricketers of note Rachel Dickinson,
(Lancashire), Laura Jackson
(Cheshire), Erin Staunton-Turner
Extras Ormskirk is a school that
strongly promotes girls’ cricket. Girls
are involved in the boys’ teams and
are warmly welcomed. The school
enjoys fixtures against both women’s
and men’s MCC teams. Head teacher
John Doyle said: “I have almost run out
(no pun intended) of superlatives to
describe our girls’ cricket team. They
are absolutely amazing”
40 / thecricketer.com
Awarcde
l
a
i
c
e
Sp xcellen
for E
THE
CRICKETER
SPECIAL
AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE
Grounded in the
local community
and utilising
cricket as a
cause for good,
Ormskirk School
is outstanding in
its commitment
to its students
and surrounding
area. A model,
modern
approach to the
game, Ormskirk
School’s
teachers and
pupils have been
pioneers for the
women’s game
PRINCE HENRY’S HIGH
SCHOOL
Victoria Avenue
Evesham
Worcestershire
WR11 4QH
OUNDLE SCHOOL
GETTY IMAGES (2)
Church Street
Oundle
Peterborough
PE8 4EE
Established 1556
Notable fixtures MCC, Eton,
Shrewsbury, Rugby, Uppingham,
Bedford, Felsted, Stowe, Oakham
Cricket professional John Crawley
(Lancashire, Hampshire & England)
(with Genis van der Merwe)
Teams 16 sides aged 14 to 18
Facilities 10 grass nets, 10 artificial
nets, four indoor lanes and eight
cricket grounds
Club/county affiliation
Northamptonshire, Oundle Town CC
Brief history Oundle School celebrated
its 150th anniversary in 2005 when
the first recorded inter-school game
was played against Uppingham in
1855. Archives suggest that cricket
was played at the school as early as
the 1830s. In 1901 WG Grace scored
his 200th century at Oundle
Cricketers of note Will Jefferson
(Essex, Nottinghamshire,
Leicestershire & England A),
Greg Smith (Leicestershire,
Nottinghamshire), Tom Harrison
(Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and
current ECB CEO)
Extras In 2015 the first phase of the
school’s sports masterplan saw
the completion of the new stateof-the-art cricket pavilion. Other
facilities include a new outfield and
net area. Further redevelopment
will add 20 more nets in 2016. That
will be the first summer for former
England batsman John Crawley to
impose his vision on the school’s
game. The school is also an MCC
Foundation Hub and an outground
for Northamptonshire
Established 1376
Notable fixtures Malvern College
Teams Boys’ and girls’ teams at U14,
U15, U16 and 1st XI, plus a staff XI. Gill
Richards (former international and
first female on Lord’s ground staff ) is
a member of the PE department
Facilities A purpose-built cricket
centre with four lanes, plus one pitch
on the school field
Club/county affiliation
Worcestershire County Cricket
Board, Worcestershire
Brief history Prince Henry’s has
developed a proud tradition
of providing a fine cricketing
experience for its students,
competing against local public
schools while remaining fairly
dominant against local state
schools. In 2013 the school
won the national eight-a-side
competition at Wantage Road
Cricketers of note Worcestershire
captain, Daryl Mitchell, is an Old
Henrician
Extras Prince Henry’s exerts a
significant and positive impact on
local cricket, boasting a committed
staff and responsive students
Favourite son:
Daryl Mitchell
had a fine
season for
Worcestershire
Big pull: John Crawley batting for Hampshire
thecricketer.com / 41
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
QUEEN
ELIZABETH
GRAMMAR
SCHOOL
154 Northgate
Wakefield
WF1 3QX
RADLEY
COLLEGE
Kennington Road
Radley
Abingdon
Oxfordshire
OX14 2HR
Top man:
England’s
Andrew
Strauss
42 / thecricketer.com
Established 1591
Notable fixtures MCC, Manchester
GS, Woodhouse Grove, Bolton School
Cricket professional Christopher
Lawson
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15, U14,
U13AB, U12AB
Facilities Three indoor lanes, six
outdoor synthetic nets, two grass
nets
Club/county affiliation
Yorkshire Schools
Brief history The first record of
fixtures at QEGS appeared in the
Savilian Magazine 1889. In 1992,
school historian Ronald Chapman
wrote: “When I arrived here in 1936
I was surprised at the mediocre
quality of the school’s cricket …
it appeared to be treated as an
unavoidable interlude between
rugby seasons ... but that
changed with the appointment
of a professional coach, Miles
Coope.” In 1982 Trevor Barker was
appointed cricket master and his
transformational work (he continues
today as director of sport) led to
QEGS becoming one of Yorkshire’s
top cricket schools
Cricketers of note Peter Heseltine
(Sussex, Durham), Mike Smith
(Gloucestershire & England)
Extras In 2015 student George
Thompson scored 111 not out off
24 balls in the Bradford Grammar
School Sixes competition. He won
Most Outstanding Batsman this year
Established 1847
Notable fixtures Cowdrey Cup (Eton,
tradition is strong. Ted Dexter
and Andrew Strauss are among a
number who have gone on to play
the game at a professional level. The
school’s cricket programme mirrors
the MCCU system where the winter
is used for technical development
in preparation for the following
summer season. The jewel in the
crown of the winter programme
is the academy which meets on
Sunday mornings and has enjoyed
sessions delivered by Jason Gillespie,
Jamie Dalrymple and Strauss. The
1st XI squad travels to Spain for
pre-season trips and are planning to
participate in the ARCH trophy in
the UAE in March
Cricketers of note Ted Dexter
(Sussex & England), Andrew Strauss
(Middlesex & England), Ben Hutton
(Middlesex), Robin Martin-Jenkins
(Sussex), Charlie van der Gucht
(Hampshire), Jamie Dalrymple
(Middlesex, Glamorgan) and Nick
Gubbins (Middlesex)
Extras Wagner worked alongside
Bert Robinson for a total of 30 years.
They produced a string of unbeaten
sides in the 1990s and nurtured
Martin-Jenkins, Strauss, Hutton and
Dalrymple. The school is to host the
2016 Bunbury festival
Harrow, Tonbridge, Charterhouse
and Wellington), John Harvey Cup
(Marlborough, Cheltenham, St
Edward’s, Winchester and Bradfield)
as well as the national T20 knockout
Cricket professional Andy Wagner (32
seasons, winning the Sky
Sports ECB Coach of the Year
award in 2013)
Teams 18 to 20 sides across
four age groups
Facilities Five indoor nets, 26
artificial nets outdoors, 10
grass nets and 10 grass squares
Club/county affiliation Middlesex
Brief history Radley’s cricket
REED’S SCHOOL
Sandy Lane
Cobham
Surrey
KT11 2ES
Established 1813
Notable fixtures MCC, Stock
Exchange CC, XL Club
Cricket professional Keith
Medlycott (Surrey)
Teams The school regularly turns
out 22 sides
Facilities Four squares (two senior,
two junior), eight grass nets, six
artificial nets, four indoor nets with
a dedicated indoor cricket centre
due 2016
Club/county affiliation Surrey,
Sutton CC
Brief history Cricket has been
played at Cobham on its extremely
beautiful grounds since the
school arrived from Watford after
World War Two. Headmasters
Bob Drayson, former Hampshire
allrounder Rodney Exton and now
David Jarrett, a Blue at Oxford
and Cambridge, have encouraged
the sport to the point of it now
reaching its highest standard in the
history of the school. The school
regularly tours the Caribbean
Extras Surrey Ladies play at
Reed’s. Surrey have trained on
the site when The Oval has been
unavailable due to international
commitments
getty images (1)
REPTON
SCHOOL
The Lodge
Repton
Derby
DE65 6FH
Established 1557
Notable fixtures MCC, Free Foresters,
Uppingham (150 years), Malvern (130
years)
Cricket professionals Howard Dytham,
Andy Afford (Nottinghamshire &
England A)
Teams U14 to 1st XI, 10 sides in
total. Some girls played for the first
time in boys’ teams in 2015. Further
expansion planned
Facilities Four grounds developing to
five grounds from 2016. Ten artificial
nets, five indoor lanes
Club/county affiliation Derbyshire
Brief history An illustrious line of
cricketers from CB Fry in the 1880s
through to the most recent addition
of Nitish Kumar, youngest player to
play in an ICC World Cup in 2011.
Repton boasts one of the highest
(second to Eton) numbers of firstclass players among their old boys.
In 2008 Repton won the National
Schools T20 competition, defeating
Dulwich College in the final. Captain
of Repton that year was Derbyshire
wicketkeeper Tom Poynton
Cricketers of note 132 first-class
players, 11 England players and three
Test captains, including Donald Carr
(Derbyshire & England),
Jack Crawford (Surrey, South
Australia & England), CB Fry
(Surrey, Hampshire & England),
Chris Adams (Derbyshire, Sussex &
England) Richard Hutton (Yorkshire
& England)
Extras Hosts Derbyshire age-group
games and academy games, having
previously hosted 2nd XI fixtures.
Five current Old Reptonians
are playing or coaching cricket
professionally. Old boys include
cricket writer Michael Henderson,
Harold Abrahams, Roald Dahl and
Jeremy Clarkson. The school hosted
Derbyshire’s Sunday League game
against Middlesex in 1988, with
Angus Fraser recording figures of
8-2-8-3. According to Tatler, CB
Fry (captain of England in 1912)
persuaded the headmaster to allow
him to give up mathematics
thecricketer.com / 43
Fast show: Bob
Willis took 325
Test wickets
ROYAL GRAMMAR
SCHOOL, GUILDFORD
High Street
Guildford
GU1 3BB
RYDAL PENRHOS
Pwllycrochan Avenue
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn
LL29 7BT
Established 1815
Notable fixtures MCC, Merchant
Taylor’s Crosby, Ellesmere College,
Oswestry School, King’s Chester,
Stonyhurst College
Head of cricket Mike Leach
Cricket professional Samed Fallah
(Rajasthan Royals)
Teams U8 to U16, 1st XI. One team
per age group. Girls’ cricket in games
sessions years 7 to 10 with the plan
for significant development over the
next 24 months
Facilities Senior square and pavilion
used by Cricket Wales as their home
venue for age-group matches against
Lancashire and Yorkshire
Club/county affiliation Cricket Wales
Brief history While small in numbers,
the school frequently punches well
above weight, producing cricketers
44 / thecricketer.com
Established 1509
Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift,
Cranleigh
Teams The school regularly fields
15 sides on Saturdays with games
for Wales on a regular basis. Old
boys’ team, Rydal Dolphins, enjoys
a cricket week played over five
days. 2014 saw Silcoats School
from Yorkshire, Bolton School from
Lancashire and Ratcliffe College
from Leicestershire in attendance
taking place at Bradstone Brook (with
its newly refurbished pavilion) and
Wonersh Cricket Club
Facilities Six outdoor nets, four indoor
nets plus batting cage, three squares
and use of an outground at Wonersh
Cricket Club
Club/county affiliation Surrey,
Guildford CC
Brief history Cricket is the major sport
for all boys during the Trinity term.
Games take place at Bradstone
Brook and Wonersh. The 1st
and 2nd XIs play in the South
London Schools League
competition, comprising seven
other equally competitive
schools. In 2013 both the 1st XI
and 2nd XI won their respective
league. In 2015, the 1st XI won the
annual RGS Cricket Festival
Cricketers of note Bob Willis (Surrey,
Warwickshire & England)
Extras The Royal Grammar School
stages an annual cricket festival
Cricketers of note IE Ferris
(Lancashire), DM Walton
(Worcestershire), WHH Sutcliffe
(Yorkshire), Wilf Wooller (Glamorgan)
Extras The only school in Wales
north of the Brecon Beacons playing
schools’ cricket
GETTY IMAGES (2)
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
SEDBERGH SCHOOL
Station Road
Sedbergh
Cumbria
LA10 5HG
Established 1525
Notable fixtures Yorkshire Academy,
Durham Academy, Shrewsbury,
Bromsgrove, MCC, annual BOWS
Festival (Brighton College, Oakham,
Wellington College)
Cricket professional Martin Speight
(Sussex, Durham)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
U15AB, U14AB
Facilities Four grounds, with an
enclosed six-lane artificial net area
plus four-lane indoor centre
Club/county affiliation Cumbria,
Durham, Lancashire, Yorkshire
Brief history Cricket has been played
at Sedbergh since the 19th century.
The school has achieved significant
success in recent years reaching the
1st XI National T20 finals day three
times, the Under-17 National final,
Under-15 National final and the
Under-15 National T20 finals day six
times, winning it once. The school
undertakes overseas tours every
three years with recent destinations
including Sri Lanka, South Africa
and Barbados
Cricketers of note Norman ‘Mandy’
Mitchell-Innes (Somerset &
England), Jordan Clark (Lancashire),
Jamie Harrison (Durham)
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL
High Street
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1HU
Established 1432
Notable fixtures MCC, King’s
Canterbury, Judd
Cricket professionals Chris Tavare
(Kent, Somerset & England), David
Smith
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15AB,
U14AB, U13ABC. Girls play in boys’
teams on merit, plus one girls’ U15
fixture in 2015. Natasha Farrant,
leaver 2014, has already played for
England Women and is one of the
first group of centrally contracted
England players
Facilities Three grounds, five allweather nets, three grass nets plus
centre practice pitches, eight indoor
nets
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history Cricket at Sevenoaks
has enjoyed some very successful
periods. The school were unbeaten
by other schools for seven years
during the 1970s. Four players went
on to play professional cricket from
that period. Former Essex cricketer
Alan Hurd was their inspirational
coach. The late 1980s and early
1990s saw another series of
excellent teams
Cricketers of note James GrahamBrown (Kent, Derbyshire), Chris
Tavare (Kent, Somerset & England),
Paul Downton (Kent, Middlesex &
England), Guy Spelman (Kent), Will
House (Kent, Sussex) and Natasha
Farrant (Kent & England)
Extras A programme of coaching
runs through the year, with sessions
often starting before school at
7.30am. Chris Tavare shares his
England experiences with the pupils
as well as teaching biology
Grafter: Chris Tavare played in 31 Tests
thecricketer.com / 45
Top 100 Schools
SHERBORNE SCHOOL
Abbey Road
Sherborne
Dorset
DT9 3AP
Alexander Lane
Brentwood
Essex
CM15 8RY
Established 1962
Notable fixtures Eastbourne College
Master i/c cricket Richard Abson-
Bennett
Teams U12, U13, U14, U15, U17, U19 boys.
U13, U15 girls enter Essex Cup indoor
and outdoor competitions as well as
the National Under-15 Cup
Facilities Two outdoor synthetic-grass
nets, two indoor nets, one all-weather
pitch. The school uses Shenfield CC
and Hutton CC throughout the season
Club/county affiliation Essex
Cricketers of note Matt Salisbury
(Essex), Mady Villiers (Essex Women)
Extras A non-selective state school
that has competed with many of the
top private schools in the country
over several years. The school roll of
honour shows 40 Essex county titles
in the last 15 years. A cricket academy
started in 2013 to further develop
cricket at Shenfield, providing a year-
46 / thecricketer.com
round programme of coaching. The
under-15 girls narrowly missed out in
two National Cup competitions last
summer – losing in the National Cup
semi-final and the Chance To Shine
National Finals in Birmingham
Big game:
Matt Salisbury
bowls for
Essex against
Australia
Successful: Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams
getty images (3)
SHENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Established 1550
Notable fixtures King’s Taunton,
Millfield, Canford
Cricket professionals Tom Flowers,
Alan Willows (Sussex)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th XI,
5th XI, plus colts through to juniors
Facilities Four indoor nets, eight
match pitches, 10 grass nets plus 12
synthetic-grass nets
Club/county affiliation Dorset
Cricketers of note David Shepherd
(Gloucestershire), Jimmy Adams
(Hampshire), Ollie Sale (Somerset)
Extras Sherborne School’s ‘Upper’
ground is back on Dorset’s radar next
summer, with their usual ground,
Dean Park, out of action.
The school staged 69 Minor Counties
Championship matches between
1902–1997
warde
A
l
a
i
c
Spe xcellenc
for E
THE
CRICKETER
SPECIAL
AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE
A large boarding
school in a
Shropshire
market town,
Shrewsbury
School has been
competing
strongly in
football and
cricket across
the whole of
the modern era.
The blueprint in
how to establish
strong county
links and strong
teams from
A to C, the
benchmark
block fixture for
all they compete
against
Run machine:
James Taylor
is on England
duty this
winter
SHREWSBURY SCHOOL
The Schools
Shrewsbury
SY3 7BA
Established 1552
Notable fixtures Millfield, Worksop
College, Worcestershire Academy,
Warwickshire CB Under-19,
Shropshire CB Under-21, MCC, Silk
Trophy (Oundle, Eton)
Cricket professionals Paul Pridgeon
(Worcestershire), Adam Shantry
(Glamorgan, Northamptonshire,
Warwickshire)
Teams 14 teams from U14 to 1st XI,
plus a competitive girls’ programme
in 2015 at U15 and U14 ages
Facilities A purpose-built indoor
cricket school opened in 2005 and
complying with ECB maximum
dimensions, providing space for
six-a-side matches with full video
analysis available. Elsewhere, a 1st
XI square ‘Top Common’, plus four
other full-size grounds, two grass net
areas providing six practice strips and
one all-weather net facility providing
four further practice strips
Club/county affiliation Shropshire
Cricket Board, Worcestershire,
Glamorgan, Warwickshire,
Northamptonshire
Brief history Shrewsbury is a unique
school in many ways. Committed to
strong academic standards within a
vision of holistic education, set on
the edge of one of the most historic
county towns in England. With nine
Salopians playing first-class cricket,
Shrewsbury’s pedigree is evident
Cricketers of note James Taylor
(Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire &
England), Nick Pocock (Hampshire),
The Hon TM Lamb (Middlesex,
Northamptonshire), Joe Leach
(Worcestershire), David Lloyd
(Glamorgan), Rhaudhri Smith
(Glamorgan), Ed Barnard
(Worcestershire)
Extras Shrewsbury retained the Silk
Trophy in 2015, becoming the only
school to do so in its 25 years
thecricketer.com / 47
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
Balland Lane
Ashburton
Devon
TQ13 7EW
Established 1964
Cricket professional Talented
performers receive weekly paired
coaching sessions with ECB Level 4
coach Peter Sanderson
Teams Boys U12 to 17, girls U13AB,
U15AB with girls’ cricket running
throughout the year
Facilities Sports hall with four indoor
nets, gym, four-lane outdoor nets, plus
a school field and synthetic-turf
pitch. ‘Grass’ fixtures played at
Ashburton CC and Bovey Tracey CC
Club/county affiliation Devon,
Somerset, Bovey Tracey CC,
Ashburton CC, Ipplepen CC
Brief history Good local community
clubs has meant cricket has thrived.
Girls’ cricket was introduced 10
years ago and in the last few years
the focus, staffing structure and
vision has sharpened further offering
opportunities, training and coaching at
the highest level a state school can offer
Extras A whole community approach
to cricket sees South Dartmoor
Community College blazing a trail. This
summer the under-15 girls became
Chance To Shine national champions.
They won through area, district and
regional rounds to reach the national
finals, at the Edgbaston Sports
Foundation Ground in Birmingham,
in front of Charlotte Edwards. South
Dartmoor beat South Hensley
Secondary School from Yorkshire in the
final, Libby McNally, Jas Dawe,
Ellie Ingham-Hill and Jess Cooper
all shining with the bat. The girls also
finished third in the School Sport
Magazine T20 hardball national
finals. Ingham-Hill was selected to be
part of the England squad in a
tournament in Shrewsbury and the
England Women’s Development
Programme
48 / thecricketer.com
ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL
54 Eaton Rise
Ealing
London
W5 2ES
Established 1902
Notable fixtures MCC, Emeriti,
Hampton, Whitgift
Director of Cricket (from Sept 2015)
Keith Newell (Sussex)
Teams 37 sides with girls playing in
boys’ teams on merit
Facilities Two indoor nets, three
ovals, two outdoor synthetic-grass
nets with eight more to be built,
plus use of Ealing CC adding two
ovals and five artificial nets
Club/county affiliation
Ealing CC, Middlesex,
Middlesex Schools
Cricketers of note Ned Eckersley
(Leicestershire)
Extras With a junior and senior
school, St Benedict’s start what
they consider to be a conveyor belt
of players from as early as six, with
every boy in the school playing
cricket throughout the summer
term. Cricket has been played at
St Benedict’s for a century now.
The 1st XI was ranked No.1 in the
country during 2012. Younger years
have enjoyed success too, with
different age groups reaching the
county cup final on eight occasions.
As well as playing in national and
regional tournaments, one of their
aims is to extend cricket to all
ages and genders. They do this by
hosting co-educational inter-school
and intra-school tournaments.
The T20 tournament sees the 1st
XI, Old Priorian CC, Headmaster’s
XI and Old
Priorian RFC
battling each
other. The
Ravens Cricket
Academy
offers highquality coaching
to both boys and
girls at all ages and
levels. Old boy Ned
Eckersley has hit 10
first-class hundreds
and fielded as 12th
man for England
at Lord’s
Fox hunter: Ned Eckersley
of Leicestershire
GETTY IMAGES (1)
SOUTH DARTMOOR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
ST EDWARD’S OXFORD
Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 7NN
Established 1863
Notable fixtures Harrow, Winchester,
Radley, Marlborough, Cheltenham,
MCC, Free Foresters
Cricket professional Rex Hooton
(Auckland)
Teams U14ABC, U15ABC, U16AB, 3rd
XI, 2nd XI, 1st XI, Girls’ 1st XI played
inaugural fixture in 2015
Facilities Six grounds, four-lane indoor
nets, 10 outdoor synthetic-grass nets,
eight grass nets
Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire,
Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire
Satellite academy based at
St Edward’s)
Brief history Cricket has always
been played at St Edward’s,
originating in the playground at
New Inn Hall Street with the earliest
records dating from 1873. In 1879 the
1st XI won 15 of 19 matches played,
the feat holding as a school record
until 2012
Cricketers of note Russell Henry
Bencraft (Hampshire), EG Wynyard
(Hampshire & England, also credited
with the ‘invention’ of the sweep
shot), Douglas Bader, Tim Hancock
(Gloucestershire)
Extras St Edward’s school ground
lies one mile from the centre of
Oxford. Famous cricket writer and
journalist John Woodcock, editor of
Wisden 1981–1986, president of the
Cricket Writers’ Club 1986–2004,
is an old boy of ‘St Teddies’ as is
Gloucestershire batsman Tim
Hancock, who scored 8,485 runs
for Gloucestershire in 185 first-class
matches, plus 4,153 runs in 211 List A
matches
thecricketer.com / 49
Sporting success at
Enquire about our Sports Scholarships for 13+ and 16+ Entry.
e | [email protected]
t | 01280 818205
w | www.stowe.co.uk
Sta t he e,
go anywhe e
Clifton College has a long and proud
cricketing tradition. With strong links to
Gloucestershire, Somerset and Glamorgan,
and a brand new outdoor cricket school,
the sport is a key part of life at Clifton.
For information about 11+, 13+ and 16+ scholarships visit
https://www.cliftoncollege.com/upper/admissions/
ST JOHN’S SCHOOL,
LEATHERHEAD
Epsom Road
Leatherhead
Surrey
KT22 8SP
Established 1851
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club, St
Paul’s, KCS Wimbledon, Hampton,
Epsom College, Eastbourne College
Cricket professional
David Hammond (Essex)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th
XI, U15ABC, U14ABC. Initially
introduced in 2010, 2015 saw a
significant uptake in girls’ cricket
at U15 level with a fixture list that
includes Hurstpierpoint and Epsom
Ladies CC
Facilities These include four indoor
nets, 14 outside nets, plus four grass
squares
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history Cricket has always been
one of the primary games played
at St John’s with the first recorded
match on the new ground being in
1879 against the MCC. The school has
hosted two List A fixtures and also
hosts Surrey age-group cricket. It
was originally founded to educate the
children of clergy
Cricketers of note David Balcombe
(Hampshire, Surrey)
Extras Viscount Montgomery of
Alamein was chairman of governors
from 1951–1966
ST PETER’S SCHOOL,
YORK
Clifton
York
YO30 6AB
Established 627AD
Notable fixtures MCC, Yorkshire
Gentlemen, Durham, Ampleforth
Cricket professionals David Foster,
Dan Woods
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI 3rd XI,
Development XI, U15AB, U14AB,
plus St Olave’s (Prep) U13, U12,
U11, U10, U9AB, after-school club
offered to girls at St Olave’s
Facilities Two sports halls with four
bowling machines, 10 syntheticgrass nets and four grass nets with
four cricket grounds
Club/county affiliation York CC,
Yorkshire
Brief history “Older
than the House
of Commons, older than the
universities, older than the Lord
Mayoralty, older even than the
throne or nation itself” – Arthur
F Leach, November 1892. School
founded in 627AD, listing Guy
Fawkes among its alumni. The first
recorded game of cricket played
at St Peter’s was in 1853 when the
School XI played Pocklington
Cricketers of note Jonny Bairstow
(Yorkshire & England), Frank
Mitchell (Yorkshire, England &
South Africa), Norman Yardley
(Yorkshire)
Extras The school is the third oldest
in the United Kingdom and fourth
in the world, and still contests some
of the oldest schoolboy fixtures
in the country. In 2013 the school
was North of England finalists in
National T20, and five years ago
made the North of England final in
the Lord’s Taverners Cup
Notable:
England’s Jonny
Bairstow went to
St Peter’s
thecricketer.com / 51
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
STEWART’S MELVILLE
COLLEGE
Queensferry Road
Edinburgh
EH4 3EZ
Established 1832
Notable fixtures MCC, Fettes College,
Merchiston College, Dollar Academy,
Edinburgh Academy, High School
of Glasgow, Glasgow Academy,
Strathallan School, Glenalmond
School, George Watson’s College
Cricket professional Dewald Nel
(Scotland & Kent, Worcestershire)
Teams 16 boys’ teams are fielded,
plus over 70 girls playing aged
(primary) 5 to 7
Facilities Two indoor cricket nets,
plus six indoor nets at the Mary
Erskine’s School, 12 synthetic-grass
nets with five grass squares spread
over two sites
Club/county affiliation Stewart’s
Melville Royal High
Brief history The school currently
runs four senior teams in the East
of Scotland Cricket Association
League, plus one social team. A
school of more than 2,700 students
means that even the principal
and deputy principal make time
to coach/manage a cricket team
during the summer months
STOWE SCHOOL
Stowe
Buckingham
MK18 5EH
Established 1923
Notable fixtures MCC, Bedford,
Myerscough College, Shrewsbury,
Radley, Wellingborough, Rugby,
Uppingham, Oundle
Head/director of cricket combined
James Knott
External professionals David Capel
(Northamptonshire & England),
Andrew O’Connor
Teams 15 boys’ team plus girls.
Facilities Four lanes of indoor nets with
bowling machines including Merlin, 10
lanes of grass practice nets, 10 lanes of
synthetic-grass nets with seven grass
squares
Club/county affiliation
Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire
Cricketers of note Ben Duckett
(Northamptonshire), Graeme White
(Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire)
Sean Morris (Hampshire), Rob White
(Northamptonshire) Jason De La
52 / thecricketer.com
Graduation: Ben
Duckett has moved
from the Stowe 1st
XI to the Northants’
senior side
Pena (Gloucestershire, Kent, Surrey,
Worcestershire)
Extras The 1st XI and 2nd XI squares
are situated in front and behind what
was once the royal palace for the Duke
of Buckingham. Northamptonshire
have regularly used the school for 2nd
XI fixtures and played a 1st XI 40over game there in recent years. The
school has twice reached the last four
of the National T20 and the regional
finals of the Under-15 National T20
competition. The school is due to host
the Bunbury festival in 2018
THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
AT LEEDS
Alwoodley Gates
Harrogate Road
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS17 8GS
Established Leeds Grammar
Talented: Batsman and umpire Mark Benson
SUTTON
VALENCE
SCHOOL
North Street
Sutton Valence
Maidstone
Kent
ME17 3HL
Established 1576
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club, Band
of Brothers
Cricket professional Vince Wells (Kent,
Leicestershire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd, XI, U15AB, U14AB,
girls practice and play with boys
Facilities Five grass squares, six
artificial nets and one grass net, five
indoor nets with full run-ups
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history The first recorded match
was in August 1840, when the school
played Sir Edmund Filmer’s XI at
nearby East Sutton Park
Cricketers of note Douglas Carr (Kent
& England), Mark Benson (Kent &
England), Orlando Peters (Leeward
Islands, Antigua)
Extras John Willes, an early
proponent of round-arm bowling,
lived in the village and is thought to
have ‘cast his influence’ on cricket at
the school
TAUNTON
SCHOOL
Staplegrove Road
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 6AD
School was formed in 1552
Notable fixtures MCC,
Manchester GS
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB,
U14AB, U13AB, U12AB, plus one
open-age girls’ team
Facilities Four grass squares, two
synthetic pitches, four indoor
practice nets, three artificial nets,
six grass nets
Club/county affiliation?
Yorkshire
Brief history The Grammar
School at Leeds came into being
following the merger of Leeds
Grammar School and Leeds High
School for Girls in 2005. It has four
cricket pitches, three net areas
comprising grass and artificial
surfaces
Cricketers of note Iain Sutcliffe
(Leicestershire, Lancashire,
Northamptonshire), James
Wainman (Yorkshire)
Yes sir: Marcus
Trescothick coaches
at Taunton School
Established 1847
Notable fixtures Dulwich College,
Eastbourne College, Ampleforth
Cricket professional Marcus
Trescothick (Somerset & England)
Teams Boys and girls’ teams from year
3 to 1st XI with girls playing cricket
since 1976
Facilities Six grounds, three bays of
outdoor nets, with 12 synthetic-turf
and four grass nets
Club/county affiliation Taunton Deane
CC, Somerset
Cricketers of note Aftab Habib
(Leicestershire, Essex & England),
John Jameson (Warwickshire)
Extras Having been playing cricket
since around 1855, it has long
held a place as a renowned
cricketing school
Old boy: Iain Sutcliffe studied at Leeds
thecricketer.com / 53
Top 100 Schools
THE KING’S SCHOOL,
MACCLESFIELD
Cumberland Street
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 1DA
Established 1502
Notable fixtures MCC, Sedbergh, The
Grammar School At Leeds, Bolton GS,
RGS Lancaster, Manchester GS
Cricket professional Andy Kennedy
(Lancashire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13AB, U12AB, girls’ cricket part of
games lessons, with recent leaver
Hannah Gradwell playing two 1st XI
seasons
Facilities The school boasts five
brand-new all-weather practice nets
at the boys’ site and three at the junior/
girls’ site, four squares, three artificial
squares, local sports centre used for
winter sessions
Club/county affiliation
THE JUDD SCHOOL
Brook Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 2PN
Established 1888
Notable fixtures Eltham College,
Sevenoaks School
Master i/c cricket David Joseph
Teams 14 sides are regularly turned out
Facilities Indoor four-lane sports hall,
one main square, eight synthetic-grass
nets, second ground with two artificial
pitches
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history The Judd School offers
cricket academies from year 8 (aged 12
to 13) onwards, with training available
all year round in the four indoor nets
within the sports hall.
Cricketers of note David Fulton (Kent),
James Thompson (Kent)
Extras A state grammar school that
continues to run a full Saturday
programme and tours Barbados
bi-annually
54 / thecricketer.com
Macclesfield CC
Brief history ‘King’s Macc’ recently
celebrated 150 years of cricket on the
current site
Cricketers of note Mike Davies
(Northamptonshire), Peter Moores
(Worcestershire, Sussex)
Extras A powerhouse of local cricket,
with four former pupils of the school
recently captaining different Cheshire
Premier League club sides at the
same time
THE KING’S SCHOOL,
CANTERBURY
25 The Precincts
Canterbury
CT1 2ES
Established 597AD
Notable fixtures MCC, Band of
Brothers, Eastbourne, Bede’s
Cricket professional Mark Ealham
(Kent, Nottinghamshire &
England)
Teams Nine boys’ teams with girls
introduced from September 2015
Facilities Three grass squares,
two synthetic pitches, 14 grass
pitches, two indoor nets with use
of the Kent County Cricket Ground
indoor academy
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history David Gower opened
the new pavilion in 2005
Cricketers of note David Gower
(Leicestershire, Hampshire
& England), Alf Richardson
(Somerset, Gloucestershire,
Orange Free State), Charles
Rowe (Kent, Glamorgan), Oli
Robinson (Yorkshire, Sussex)
Extras Kent 2nd XI use the
main ground, Birley’s, each
summer for a three-day and a
one-day game
THE LEYS SCHOOL
Golden boy:
Former England
batsman David
Gower was at
King’s School,
Canterbury
Fen Causeway
Cambridge
CB2 7AD
Established 1875
Notable fixtures MCC, Cambridge
University Crusaders, Gentlemen
of Cambridge, Norwich,
Wellingborough, Haileybury
Cricket professional Richard Kaufman
Teams 11 teams with the girls reaching
the last 16 of the Under-15 Lady
Taverners competition
Facilities Purpose-built two-lane
indoor school with two bowling
machines and video-analysis
equipment, plus four grass squares
Club/county affiliation
Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire
Brief history The Leys was established
in February 1875 with cricket
introduced during the school’s
second term of existence
Cricketers of note Gordon Bevas
(Nottinghamshire), William Brown
(Gloucestershire), Thomas Hill
(Somerset), Bernard Holloway
(Sussex, MCC)
Extras Situated in the heart of
Cambridge next to the river Cam,
The Leys is seen as punching above
its weight, reaching the last 16 of
the HMC T20 competition in 2015.
The school hosts a Cambridgeshire
Minor Counties fixture annually
thecricketer.com / 55
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
THE MANCHESTER
GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Old Hall Lane
Manchester
M13 0XT
Established 1515
Notable fixtures Shrewsbury, Sedbergh,
MCC
Director of cricket Mike Watkinson
(Lancashire & England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13AB, U12AB, plus U11AB, U10AB at
junior school
Facilities An indoor facility with four
nets, three grass squares, six grass
practice pitches and four outdoor
artificial nets, one artificial match pitch
Club/county affiliation Lancashire
56 / thecricketer.com
Brief history Boys are provided with many
Honours: Mike
Atherton has
shone with his
batting, writing and
broadcasting
chances to represent the school in a
wide range of sports. Academic staff and
specialist coaches have helped develop
the skills of sportsmen since the school
moved from the cramped city-centre
campus to a new site in Fallowfield
during the 1930s
Cricketers of note Mike Atherton
(Lancashire & England), John
Crawley (Lancashire, Hampshire &
England), David Green (Lancashire,
Gloucestershire), Mark Crawley
(Lancashire, Nottinghamshire), Gary
Yates (Lancashire), Mark Chilton
(Lancashire)
Extras MGS was founded to provide
an education of the highest quality
for those who qualified by virtue of
their intelligence, regardless of parental
background. Remaining true to this
objective in modern times, it has raised
over £25m to ensure that more than
200 pupils receive means-tested
bursaries to attend. The commitment
to the widest possible social access
extends to its sporting ethos. In 2014,
more than 1,500 school representative
opportunities across 18 sports were
created, seven pupils going on to
achieve national honours. Former
pupil Herbert Toft went on to play
rugby union for England, and Robert
Crawshaw and Douglas Lowe won
Olympic gold medals in water polo and
athletics respectively. More recently,
Mike Atherton represented England in
115 Tests and 54 ODIs
TONBRIDGE SCHOOL
High Street
Tonbridge
Kent
TN9 1JP
Established 1553
Notable fixtures Haileybury,
Charterhouse, Harrow, Eton
THE ORATORY SCHOOL
The Oratory School
Woodcote
Nr Reading
South Oxfordshire
RG8 0PJ
Established 1859
Notable fixtures Bradfield College,
Reed’s, St Edward’s
Cricket professional Chad Keegan
(Middlesex, Sussex)
Teams The school regularly turns out
12 sides in block fixtures
Facilities Seven grass squares, 12 nets
with four lanes available indoors
Club/county affiliation Oxfordshire
Brief history In 1914 the pavilion
was burned down by Suffragettes
in retaliation for an incident when a
boy sprinkled ink on women meeting
outside the school. The Oratory took
part in an annual cricket match at
Lord’s against Beaumont 1926–1968
– the only fixture at the Home of
Cricket between Catholic public
schools. The 1st XI cricket field was
excavated and relaid in 1946/47 as a
tribute to Old Oratorians who served
and gave their lives in the Second
World War
Cricketers of note Steve Tomlinson
(Glamorgan), Benny Howell
(Hampshire, Gloucestershire), Daniel
Housego (Middlesex, Gloucestershire)
Extras A stunning ground, on top
of the Chilterns, with breathtaking
views situated over the Thames
Valley. The school returns to
Barbados for its bi-annual tour at
Christmas 2016 (back on Christmas
Eve). Housego (four first-class
hundreds) runs net sessions
throughout the winter
Cricket professionals Ian Baldock,
Mark Dekker (Zimbabwe)
Teams 20 sides play fixtures over
the summer, plus three house
competitions
Facilities Five indoor nets, 15 grass
nets, 10 synthetic pitches with nine
grounds available
Club/county affiliation Kent
Brief history In 1826 the governors
of Tonbridge School purchased a
field next to the school. It became
The Head and the Upper and Lower
Hundreds. The famous Dodd
painting of cricket at Tonbridge
is dated 1851. In the 1930s JGW
Davies earned fame as a Cambridge
undergraduate by bowling Donald
Bradman for a duck. The second
Tonbridgian to make a century
against Australia was Colin Cowdrey.
The school’s most distinguished
cricketer, he left a remarkable school
record of 2,894 runs scored and 216
wickets taken over five years before
going on to captain Kent and England
and become a hugely respected
administrator of the game as Lord
Cowdrey of Tonbridge. A further four
Tonbridgians have played for England
– Roger Prideaux, Chris Cowdrey,
Richard Ellison and Ed Smith
Cricketers of note Colin Cowdrey
(Kent & England), Chris Cowdrey
(Kent & England), Ed Smith (Kent,
Middlesex & England), Richard
Ellison (Kent & England)
Extras The Old Tonbridgians
have been the dominant team in
The Cricketer Cup, winning the
competition 13 times, more than
twice as many as the next school
alumni. It includes six victories in
the last 10 years. The school’s main
ground, The Head, situated as it is
behind the chapel, is regarded as one
of the country’s finest
warde
A
l
a
i
c
Spe xcellenc
for E
THE
CRICKETER
SPECIAL
AWARD FOR
EXCELLENCE
The playing
fields of
England.
A rich and
varied history.
All-round
excellence
in facilities,
coaching and
playing
thecricketer.com / 57
TOP 100 SCHOOLS
TRENT COLLEGE
Derby Road
Long Eaton
Nottingham
NG10 4AD
Established 1866 Notable fixtures MCC, Oakham,
Uppingham, Rugby, Derbyshire U17
Cricket professional Paul
Johnson (Nottinghamshire
& England A), Chris Read
(Gloucestershire, Nottinghamshire &
England)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, 4th
XI, U15ABC, U14ABCD, U13ABCD,
U12ABCDE, plus girls’ U13, U15, U18
Facilities Four indoor nets, 11 grass
nets, four main grounds plus junior
pitches Club/county affiliation Derbyshire,
Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire,
Lincolnshire plus club sides Long
Eaton, Sawley and Sandiacre
Brief history The first recorded match
was in 1869. Records show that the
school boasted a top side in 1872,
although it included five teachers.
Trent’s highest score came in 1989
when posting 337 for 1 against
Warwick. Derbyshire played John
Player League matches on campus
between 1975–1979. Since 1995,
Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire 2nd
XI have regularly used facilities to
play one-day matches
Cricketers of note Russell
Cobb (Leicestershire), Noel Gie
(Nottinghamshire), Rex Alston
(cricket broadcaster)
Extras Nottinghamshire’s blind
cricketers enjoy fixtures at the
school
58 / thecricketer.com
TRINITY SCHOOL
Shirley Park
Croydon
CR9 7AT
Test class: Mark
Butcher averaged
152 for Trinity in
the 1987 season
Established Founded in 1596, in current
form since 1850
Notable fixtures Whitgift, Hampton,
King’s Canterbury, MCC
Cricket professional Ian Salisbury
(Surrey, Sussex, Warwickshire &
England)
Teams 20 teams ranging from U11
to 1st XI, with the school recently
going co-educational in the sixth form.
Girls’ cricket is being introduced from
next summer
Facilities Four cricket squares, four
synthetic nets, three roll-on batting
cages including four bowling machines,
access to two indoor sports halls,
with the main hall supporting five
nets, fitness suite and a strength and
conditioning gym
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history 1905 saw the first
recorded cricket fixture played
between Whitgift Middle School
(now Trinity School) and Colfes. Mark
Butcher scored 152 and took 9 for 17
(including a hat-trick) against Alleyn’s
School in 1987. The future Surrey and
England batsman went on to average
152 that season. Between 1992–96
Trinity 1st XI played 102 fixtures, losing
only five times
Cricketers of note Mark Butcher
(Surrey & England), Scott
Newman (Surrey, Middlesex,
Kent, Nottinghamshire & England
Academy), Gary Butcher (Glamorgan,
Surrey), Richard Nowell (Surrey)
Extras Salisbury is a passionate and
dedicated coach, who has just played a
key role in helping the England Physical
Disability Squad win a tournament
in Bangladesh. Prospective parents
should listen to him to be convinced
that this school takes its cricket
seriously. Gethin Roberts (Kent) and
Elliot and Marcus Lilley (London
Schools) have received county
recognition. Recent guest visitors to
the school have also included Brian
Lara, Sir Garfield Sobers and Mike
Brearley
UPPINGHAM SCHOOL
High Street W
Uppingham
Rutland
LE15 9QE
Established 1584
Notable fixtures MCC, Repton,
Haileybury, Shrewsbury, Rugby,
Oundle
Cricket professional Trevor Ward
(Kent, Leicestershire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U16AB,
U15ABC, U14ABCD. There were
two girls’ games in 2015 with one
student included in the boys’
U15A side
Facilities Seven grounds, 20 grass
nets, five indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Leicestershire
Brief history Former England
captain Percy Chapman attended.
The pavilion was built as a war
memorial
Cricketers of note Shiv Thakor
(Leicestershire, Derbyshire),
Jonathan Agnew (Leicestershire
& England), James Whitaker
(Leicestershire & England), Percy
Chapman (Kent & England)
WARWICK SCHOOL
Myton Road
Warwick
CV34 6PP
Established 914AD
Notable fixtures MCC, Oakham
Director of cricket Simon
Francis (Hampshire, Somerset,
Nottinghamshire & England A)
Director of sport Geoff Tedstone
(Warwickshire, Gloucestershire)
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, (U16 for
2016), U15ABC, U14AB(C for 2016),
U13ABC, U12ABC
Facilities Three grass squares plus
one temporary grass square, two
artificial pitches, four indoor lanes,
three synthetic nets, two batting
cages, four open artificial nets
Club/county affiliation Warwickshire,
Warwickshire Cricket Board (South
& Central District)
Brief history Located adjacent to
the River Avon and set within 50
acres. An exceptional extracurricular
programme with extensive sporting
facilities and national success
Cricketers of note Neil Smith
(Warwickshire), Gordon Lord
(Warwickshire, Worcestershire),
Huw Jones (Warwickshire)
Extras A handsome modern pavilion
overlooks the 1st XI oval. The school
continues to challenge regionally,
despite not having a recruitment
programme for cricket scholars
thecricketer.com / 59
Top 100 Schools
WELLINGTON COLLEGE
WELLINGBOROUGH
SCHOOL
London Road
Wellingborough
Northamptonshire
NN8 2BX
Established 1595
Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club
Cricket professional David Sales
(Northamptonshire & England A)
Teams U14AB, U15AB, 2nd XI,
1st XI with a comprehensive
programme of girls’ cricket
underway at the prep school with
four girls representing the 1st
XI on merit over the past eight
seasons
60 / thecricketer.com
Facilities Two indoor nets, seven
synthetic outdoor nets, four grass
squares
Club/county affiliation
Northamptonshire
Brief history WG Grace’s doorstep
(from his Bristol home) forms
the bottom element to the main
ground’s thatched pavilion
Cricketers of note Paul Coverdale
(Northamptonshire)
Extras First-class cricket was
played there for many years, with
Ian Botham scoring 175 not out
in a one-day game for Somerset v
Northamptonshire. Sir Len Hutton
struck 269 not out for Yorkshire
against Northants in 1949
Duke’s Ride
Crowthorne
West Berkshire
RG45 v7PU
Established 1859
Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow,
Cowdrey Cup (Tonbridge, Radley
and Charterhouse), plus the BOWS
Festival (Brighton College, Oakham
and Sedbergh), two-day fixture with
Malvern
Master i/c cricket Dan Pratt
Teams Four senior teams, U16ABC,
U15ABCD, U14ABCDE, plus girls
playing their first fixture last June
Facilities Nine grounds, 15 grass nets, 14
synthetic outdoor nets, five indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Surrey, Berkshire
Brief history Wooden pavilion from
1861–1901 before being closed and
demolished due to damage caused
by rats. New lime-green pavilion
opened as replacement, refurbished
and painted pink in 1994. A handful of
Wellingtonians have gone on to play
Test cricket but none since 1930, when
MJC Allom took four wickets in five
balls in the first Test match played by
New Zealand and when FT Badcock,
another Old Wellingtonian, also, rather
uniquely, bagged a king pair on his
debut
Cricketers of note Tom Curran (Surrey),
Sam Curran (Surrey) is still a pupil at
the school
WELLINGTON SCHOOL
South Street
Wellington
TA21 8NT
Established 1837
Notable fixtures Millfield, King’s
Taunton, Cornwall, Gwent,
Lashings CC
Cricket professional Steffan
Jones (Somerset, Derbyshire,
Northamptonshire), Caroline Atkins
(Durham MCCU & England), Paul
Lawrence
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15ABC,
U13ABC, U11AB, plus girls’ U15 and
U13 for 2016. The intention is to form
an U18 team in future years
Facilities Three grass squares, four
indoor nets, 12 grass nets, plus four
outdoor synthetic nets
Club/county affiliation Somerset
Brief history Founded as Wellington
Academy in 1837. From 1945 the
school’s direct-grant status enabled a
demand for a grammar school could
be met and fully independent status
arrived in 1977. Girls were accepted
as pupils from the following year.
Wellington School retains a strong
house system
Extras Wellington School is the first
establishment in the south-west to
have full-time former professionals
in charge of both boys’ and girls’
cricket as defined programmes with
a cricket scholarship in addition. A
progressive school with a mandate
to produce future players of
professional standard. The fixture list
is being upgraded in 2016 to include
county sides
WHITGIFT SCHOOL
Haling Park
South Croydon
CR2 6YT
Established 1600
Notable fixtures MCC, Bradfield
College, Millfield, King’s Taunton,
Charterhouse School, Dulwich
College, Cranleigh School
Head of Cricket David Ward (Surrey)
Head of Cricket Performance
Blaster:
Jason Roy
learned his
cricket at
Whitgift
Neil Kendrick (Surrey, Glamorgan)
Teams U11AB, U12ABCD, U13ABCD,
U14ABCD, U15ABC, 1st XI, 2nd XI,
3rd XI
Facilities Five grass squares, four
outdoor synthetic-grass nets, 12
grass nets, six lanes of indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history The school was
founded in 1596 by John Whitgift,
Elizabeth I’s last Archbishop
of Canterbury. 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 to see off the
threat of the Spanish Armada. The
grounds retain the appearance of an
attractive country estate
Cricketers of note Raman Subba
Row (Surrey, Northamptonshire
& England), Jason Roy (Surrey
& England), Laurie Evans
(Warwickshire, Surrey)
Extras The school has claimed an
impressive list of titles including
Under-15 ESCA T20 National
Champions (2011, 2013, 2014),
Under-13 ESCA National Champions
(eight titles in the past 17 years) and
Under-11 ESCA National Champions
(2011). According to The Daily
Telegraph, Whitgift School is “one of
the leaders of the pack thanks to big
investment and top-level coaches”
thecricketer.com / 61
ST JOHN’S
SCHOOL
A PREPARATION
FOR LIFE
St John’s offers first-class
sporting facilities within a 50
acre campus in the Surrey
countryside. Pupils benefit
from elite sports coaching
and personalised training
programmes, and many go
on to receive international
honours.
www.stjohnsleatherhead.co.uk
The Cricketer.indd 1
14/09/2015 16:04:49
Forest School is London’s only diamond
structure school for boys and girls aged
4-18. The School has over 20 acres of fields
for cricket and many other outdoor sports,
permanent indoor nets and video analysis
technology in the Cricket Suite, and our
cricket coaching staff includes former
England and current Essex CCC wicket
keeper, James Foster.
Cricket at The Leys
www.theleys.net
www.forest.org.uk
[email protected]
020 8520 1744
The Cricketer.indd 1
The Leys is the only co-educational boarding and day school
in Cambridge for 11-18 year olds
07/10/2015 08:52:43
WINCHESTER COLLEGE
College Street
Winchester
SO23 9NA
Established The school opened in
WILSON’S SCHOOL
Mollison Drive
Wallington
Surrey
SM6 9JW
Established 1615
Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift,
Epsom College, Trinity, City of
London Freemen’s, Tiffin, Reigate
Grammar, KCS Wimbledon,
RGS Guildford
Cricket professional Chris Bullen
(Surrey), John Fry
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, U15AB, U14AB,
U13ABC, U12ABCD
Facilities There are two indoor nets at
the school plus two indoor nets used
at the Cricket for Change Ground, five
outdoor synthetic pitches, one grass
square plus a single synthetic-grass
pitch. The school also uses grass
pitches at the nearby Wallington
Sports Ground and Cricket for
Change Ground, which is also near
the school
Club/county affiliation Surrey
Brief history Wilson’s is a traditional
grammar school still running a
strong Saturday and midweek
fixture list
Cricketers of note Neil Kendrick
(Surrey, Glamorgan)
Extras Wilson’s regards itself as
offering exceptional cricket provision
for state pupils in what is a private
school-dominated region of the
country. The school plays cricket
fixtures split 50/50 between private
and state schools. The school offers
bi-annual tours for 1st XI and junior
teams, including recent trips to
Barbados and Dubai. In line with a
push for continued improvement in
provision and excellence, the school
is currently involved in debate with
ECB and its initiative advocating
September cricket
1394 and claims the longest unbroken
history of any school in England
Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow
Cricket professional Paul Gover
Teams 13 all-boy sides
Facilities Sports hall with four nets, 11
synthetic nets outside, seven grounds
– including a walled ground, replete
with in-boundary trees. The Meads
is perhaps the most beautiful 2nd XI
setting in the country
Bodyline
Club/county affiliation Hampshire
architect:
Brief history Cricket has been played at
Douglas Jardine Winchester from the 17th century. The
is a famous
first inter-school match was in 1825.
Winchester
Winchester played annual matches at
old boy
Lord’s against Eton and Harrow from
1826 to 1854. The 1st XI is still known as
‘Lord’s XI’. The earliest recorded match
was in 1776 (College v Commoners)
Cricketers of note Douglas Jardine
(Surrey & England), Nawab of Pataudi
(Worcestershire & England), Hubert
Doggart (Sussex & England)
Extras Reputedly banned from
playing at Lord’s for 100 years after
an incident which resulted in a fire
being started in a stand. Away teams
– including Australian touring
sides – take lunch overlooked by
the portrait of England 1932/33
‘Bodyline’ captain, Douglas
Jardine
thecricketer.com / 63
WORKSOP SCHOOL
Sparken Hill
Worksop
Nottinghamshire
S80 3AP
Established 1890
Notable fixtures Shrewsbury School,
WOODHOUSE GROVE
SCHOOL
Apperley Lane
Bradford
West Yorkshire
BD10 0NR
Established 1812
Notable fixtures Bradford GS, St
Peter’s York, Durham, Ampleforth
College, Lancaster RGS
Cricket professional Arnie Sidebottom
(Yorkshire & England)
Teams U12, U13, U14, U15, 2nd XI,
1st XI underpinned by a dedicated
cricket programme at Bronte House
and Moorlands School. The school
also has a long-standing tradition of
developing female cricketers who are
encouraged to play in school teams.
Kathryn Leng (England 1994–2000)
was a pioneer for girls playing
with and against boys on the HMC
Northern circuit
64 / thecricketer.com
Facilities Four grass squares, six
synthetic-grass nets, one artificial
match pitch. The purpose-built
sports complex has four indoor nets
Club/county affiliation Yorkshire
Cricket Board
Brief history Originally set up for the
education of the sons of Methodist
Minsters, cricket at Woodhouse Grove
has grown significantly in strength,
particularly over the past 30 years
Cricketers of note Ajmal
Shahzad (Yorkshire, Lancashire,
Nottinghamshire, Sussex & England)
Extras Recent cricket professionals
include Graham Roope (Surrey
& England) and Frank Tyson
(Northamptonshire & England). The
school has undertaken overseas tours
since 1998. Became the first northern
school to win the National Schools
T20 competition with Dylan Budge
named as the Wisden Schoolboy
Cricketer of the Year for 2014
Prolific: Joe Root
is one of many
Worksop alumni
who have played
county cricket
Millfield, Worcestershire Academy
(pre-season tour)
Cricket professionals Ian Parkin,
Neil Longhurst
Teams 1st XI, 2nd XI, 3rd XI, U15, U14,
Colts, development squad
Facilities Indoor centre with four lanes,
12 grass nets, three outdoor syntheticgrass nets, four cricket grounds
Club/county affiliation Nottinghamshire
– the school serves as a satellite
academy
Brief history The school has a fine
tradition of cricket played in its 300acre grounds. It has two players in the
UAE with England this autumn – Joe
Root and Samit Patel
Cricketers of note Joe Root
(Yorkshire & England), Samit Patel
(Nottinghamshire & England), Brett
Hutton (Nottinghamshire), Richard
Kettleborough (Yorkshire, Middlesex),
Billy Root (Nottinghamshire)
Extras A small school in terms of
numbers that regularly turns out
excellent 1st XIs. It is set on a sloping
campus with a scenic main cricket
ground that also contains a nine-hole
golf course
SPECIAL MENTIONS
The following schools
committed time and effort
to being part of what was
an exhaustive list. On this
occasion they did not make
the main list but are all
strong ambassadors for the
game, worthy of mention or
inclusion on another day
35, 49, 78
27
Bishop’s Stortford School,
Bloxham School, Dollar
Academy, Dover College,
Downside School,
Gordonstoun School,
Gresham’s School,
Hymers College, Kirkham
Grammar School, Merchant
Taylors’ School, Crosby,
Mill Hill School, Monkton
Combe School, Pocklington
School, Queen’s College,
Taunton, Ratcliffe College,
Royal Grammar School,
High Wycombe, Ryde
School with Upper
Chine, Shiplake College,
Silcoates School, The
Edinburgh Academy, The
Harvey Grammar School,
Folkestone, The High
School of Glasgow, The
King’s School, Chester, The
Perse School, Tiffin School,
West Buckland School,
Westminster School,
Wolverhampton Grammar
School, Worth School,
Wrekin School, Wycliffe
College
68
62
77
8
82, 89
59
100
57, 89
50
85
67
60
79
65
25
86
3, 4
24
72
92
24
1
58, 91
52
93
34
12
61
31
11, 20
36, 37
21
84
48
73
51, 63,
75, 87
95
43, 81
69, 90
2
23
18 13
71
98
42
7, 54
83, 88
28
40
14
10, 46
80
19, 64, 66,
16, 96, 97
22, 30, 76
17
5, 45
55
THE TOP 100 SCHOOLS
17 Christ’s Hospital
18 City of London
Freemen’s School
19Clayesmore
School
20 Clifton College
21 Cranbrook School
22 Cranleigh School
23 Dauntsey’s School
24 Denstone College
25 Dr Challoner’s
Grammar School
26 Dulwich College
27 Durham School
28 Eastbourne College
29 Emanuel School
30 Epsom College
31 Eton College
32 Felsted School
33 Forest School
34Framlingham
College
41
9, 32, 76
15
56
26, 29, 33, 39, 44, 74, 38
94
6
1 Aldenham School
2 Bede’s School
3 Bedford Modern School
4 Bedford School
5 Beechen Cliff,
Bath
6 Blundell’s School
7 Bradfield College
8 Bradford Grammar
9 Brentwood School
10 Brighton College
11 Bristol Grammar
School
12Bromsgrove
School
13 Canford School
14Charterhouse
15 Chigwell School
16Chislehurst
& Sidcup
Grammar School
47
53
35 George Watson’s
College
36Haberdashers’
Aske’s Boys’
School
37Haileybury
38 Hampton School
39 Harrow School
40Hurstpierpoint
College
41 Ipswich School
42 King Edward VI
School,
Southampton
43 King’s College
School,
Wimbledon
44 King’s College,
Taunton
45 Kingswood
School, Bath
46 Lancing College
47Leicester
Grammar School
48 Lord Wandsworth
College
49 Loretto School
50Loughborough
Grammar School
51 Magdalen College
School, Oxford
52 Malvern College
53Marlborough
College
54 Millfield School
55 New Hall School
56Nottingham
High School
57 Oakham School
58Ormskirk,
Lancashire
59 Oundle School
60Prince Henry’s,
Worcester
61 Queen Elizabeth
Grammar School,
Wakefield
62 Radley College
63 Reed’s School
64 Repton School
65 Royal Grammar
School, Guildford
66 Rydal Penrhos
67 Sedbergh School
68 Sevenoaks School
69 Shenfield School,
Essex
70 Sherborne School
71 Shrewsbury School
72 South Dartmoor
Community
College
73 St Benedict’s
School, Ealing
74 St Edward’s
School, Oxford
75 St John’s School,
Leatherhead
76 St Peter’s School,
York
77 Stewart’s Melville
College
78 Stowe School
79Sutton
Valence School
80Taunton School
81 The Grammar
School at Leeds
82 The Judd School
83 The King’s School
in Macclesfield
84 The King’s School
Canterbury
85 The Leys School
86 The Manchester
Grammar School
87 The Oratory
School
88 Tonbridge School
89 Trent College
90Trinity School,
Croydon
91Uppingham
School
92 Warwick School
93Wellingborough
School
94 Wellington College
95 Wellington School,
Somerset
96 Whitgift School
97 Wilson’s School
98Winchester
College
99Woodhouse
Grove School
100Worksop College
thecricketer.com / 65
Top 100 Schools
Fields of glory:
Cricket action at
Kimbolton School
Simon Hughes
Editor-at-large,
The Cricketer
66 / thecricketer.com
If I had to vote
for the best
cricket master
ever it would
take me about
two seconds
to decide. It
would be the
dome-headed, bespectacled Bob
Orme, who recently retired from
Latymer Upper School after close
on 50 years of total dedication to the
school’s under-13s. Fifty years spent
dealing with unruly, unpunctual,
often ungainly little boys trying to get
their cricket into some sort of shape,
teaching them the rudiments of
the game.
He was not a good player himself but
his commitment and enthusiasm was
unshakeable. However bad we were,
however awful the April weather,
he painstakingly stood in the nets,
guiding and cajoling – or he would go
through the match highlighting the
good aspects and tactfully pointing
out a few areas for improvement. He
drew diagrams for us to study and
suggested players for us to watch.
His perceptiveness, his forensic
attention to detail, his endless
fascination, left an indelible
impression on all of us. It helped
me understand the game better,
and enjoy it even more. Hopefully
I have passed that understanding
and enjoyment on. It was entirely
appropriate that Shane Warne – the
most thinking cricketer of the modern
era – attended the match played in
Bob’s honour last year and presented
his farewell gift. There are many Bob Ormes up and
down the country who have not been
lucky enough to be congratulated
by Warne or received any award. But
now, as you have seen within these
pages, a few of them will earn wider
recognition alongside some of the
other people – and places – that
devote such time and effort to
school cricket.
Its people are the foundation of
our game. They are essential to its
existence. It is about time they
received at least a token of our
gratitude.