PLAYING

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. 

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,” 

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 50- 

and 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!” 

4 / thecricketer.com


Top 100 Schools 

ALDENHAM 

SCHOOL 

Aldenham Road 

Elstree 

Hertfordshire 

WD6 3AJ 

BEDFORD 

MODERN 

SCHOOL 

Manton Lane 

Bedford 

MK41 7NT 

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 


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 

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 

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 


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 


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 Boyd- 

Moss (Northamptonshire), Christian 

Davis (Northamptonshire) 

Extras A truly majestic setting in the 

lee of the main school buildings 



BEECHEN CLIFF SCHOOL 

Alexandra Park 

Kipling Avenue 

Bath 

Somerset 

BA2 4RE 


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” 

BLUNDELL’S SCHOOL 

Blundell’s Road 

Tiverton 

Devon 

EX16 4DN 


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 


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 

GETTY IMAGES (2) 

BRADFIELD COLLEGE 

Reading 

West Berkshire 

RG7 6BZ 


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 



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 



BRENTWOOD SCHOOL 

Middleton Hall Lane 

Brentwood 

Essex 

CM15 8EE 


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 

BRIGHTON COLLEGE 

Eastern Road 

Brighton 

East Sussex 

BN2 0AL 


Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Women, 

XL Club, Cranleigh, Dulwich 

Director of Cricket Mike Smethurst 

(Lancashire) 

Teams 12 boys’ teams and four girls’ 

Facilities Four indoor lanes, two cricket 

squares, seven grass nets, 10 syntheticgrass 

outdoor lanes 


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 Award 

for Excellence 

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) 


BRISTOL GRAMMAR SCHOOL 

University Road 

Bristol 

BS8 1SR 


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’ 


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) 



BROMSGROVE SCHOOL 

Worcester Road 

Bromsgrove 

Worcestershire 

B61 7DU 


Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club 

Cricket professionals Ben Cox 

(Worcestershire), Jon Webb 


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 


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 

CANFORD SCHOOL 

Wimborne 

Dorset 

BH21 3AD 


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 


Notable fixtures Cowdrey Cup 

(Eton, Harrow, Tonbridge, Radley 

College, Wellington College) 

Cricket professional Martin Bicknell 

(Surrey & England) 


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 

CHIGWELL SCHOOL 

High Road 

Chigwell 

Essex 

IG7 6QF 


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 under- 

11s 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) 


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 

aged between 11 and 18, on the north Hampshire/Surrey border 

E: admissions@lordwandsworth.org T: 01256 862201 W: www.lordwandsworth.org 

www.habsboys.org.uk 

registered charity no: 313996 

An outstanding independent 

day school for boys aged 

between 5 and 18. 

Butterfly Lane, Elstree, Hertfordshire WD6 3AF 

Tel: 020 8266 1700 

admissions@habsboys.org.uk 

Headmaster: Peter B Hamilton MA 

23817 Lord Wandsworth College Cricket Advert.indd 1 29/09/2015 09:19 

From Prep to Professional 

Senior School 11-18 

Day and boarding 

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. 

Keen to improve your cricket? So are we. 

Call 01747 812122 • www.clayesmore.com 

Please fing 01884 252543 or email 

info@blundells.org for more information. 

Tiverton • Devon • EX16 4DN • www.blundells.org 

Proud to be one of The Cricketer’s Top 100 Schools

CHRIST’S HOSPITAL 

Christ’s Hospital 

Horsham 

West Sussex 

RH13 0YP 

CHISLEHURST 

& SIDCUP 

GRAMMAR 

Hurst Road 

Sidcup 

Kent 

DA15 9AG 



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 


Notable fixtures King’s Bruton 

cricket festival 

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 


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 



CLAYESMORE SCHOOL 

Blandford Road 

Blandford Forum 

Dorset 

DT11 8LJ 


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 

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 

CITY OF LONDON 

FREEMEN’S SCHOOL 

Ashtead Park 

Ashtead 

Surrey 

KT21 1ET 

Higher 

honours?: Rory 

Burns is aiming 

for an England 

call-up 


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 

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 


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 


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 




CRANBROOK SCHOOL 

Waterloo Road 

Cranbrook 

Kent 

TN17 3JD 


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, 

CRANLEIGH 

SCHOOL 

Horseshoe Lane 

Cranleigh 

Surrey 

GU6 8QQ 

Seam of talent: 

Stuart Meaker 

has played in 

two one-day 

internationals 

for England 

XL Club and overseas 

touring teams. Winter 

nets form a regular part 

of the extracurricular 

programme 

Cricketers of note Phil 


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 

Edmonds (Middlesex & 

England) 

Extras The school runs an 

academy with former Kent 

slow left-armer Rob Ferley 

in the autumn and spring 

area with fully synthetic run-ups 


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 

DAUNTSEY’S SCHOOL 

High Street 

West Lavington 

Devizes 

Wiltshire 

SN10 4HE 


Notable fixtures MCC, 

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 

18 / 

thecricketer.com

DENSTONE COLLEGE 

Uttoxeter 

Staffordshire 

ST14 5HN 


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 



DULWICH COLLEGE 

Dulwich Common 

London 

SE21 7LD 

DR CHALLONER’S 


Amersham 

Buckinghamshire 


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 


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 

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” 

Allrounder: 

Chris Jordan did 

his schooling at 

Dulwich College 


Notable fixtures MCC, Tonbridge, 

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 

DURHAM SCHOOL 

Quarryheads Lane 

Durham 

DH1 4SZ 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, Tonbridge 

Cricket professional Rob Ferley 

(Kent, Nottinghamshire) 


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 


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 



EMANUEL SCHOOL 

Battersea Rise 

London 

SW11 1HS 


Notable fixtures Tiffin School, MCC 

Head coach Mark Stear 

1st XI coach Malcolm Roberts 


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 

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 



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 


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 


Special Award 


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 

ETON COLLEGE 

Windsor 

SL4 6DW 


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 

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 Ingleby- 

Mackenzie 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 



FELSTED SCHOOL 

Felsted 

Dunmow 

Essex 

CM6 3LL 


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 

Facilities Five indoor nets, 10 

artificial nets, five grounds 

plus three more available at the 

associated prep school 


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 

The cap fits: 

Old boy Nasser 

Hussain had a 

great England 

career 

FOREST SCHOOL 

2 College Place 

London 

E17 3PY 


Notable fixtures MCC, Highgate, 

Ardingly College 

Cricket professional James Foster 

(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 



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 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, MCC Ladies, 

Essex Development 

Cricket professional Ben France 

(Derbyshire) 


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 



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 under- 

15s 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 


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 

admissions@tonbridge-school.org 

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 

HMC – Day, weekly and full boarding 

Boys and girls 13 to 18 

For more information please contact: 

richard.mills@bedes.org T 01323 843252 

BEDES_TheCricketer_128x198mm.indd 1 17/09/2015 10:37

HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S 

BOYS’ SCHOOL 

Butterfly Lane 

Elstree 

Hertfordshire 

WD6 3AF 


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 


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 

Big hit: Sam 

Billings has 

broken into 

England’s 

one-day set-up 

HAILEYBURY 

Haileybury 

Hertford 

SG13 7NU 


Notable fixtures MCC, plus two-day 

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 


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 



HAMPTON SCHOOL 

Hanworth Road 

Hampton 

Middlesex 

TW12 3HD 


Notable fixtures MCC, Eton, Harrow, 

Dulwich College, Whitgift (two-day 

game) 

Cricket professional Chris Harrison 

(with Ami Banerjee as head of cricket) 


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 

Special Award 


HARROW SCHOOL 

5 High St 

Harrow on the Hill 

Middlesex 

HA1 3HP 


Notable fixtures Eton at Lord’s, MCC, 

Cowdrey Cup (Wellington, Tonbridge, 

Radley), Charterhouse 

Cricket professional Stephen Jones 

(Western Province) 

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 


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 

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 


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 


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 under- 

14s 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 


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 



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 

KING’S 

COLLEGE 

SCHOOL 

Southside 

Wimbledon 

Common 

London 

SW19 4TT 


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 


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 

Hand it to him: Jos 

Butler is England’s 

wicketkeeper 

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 

beating schools with 

double that number 

KINGSWOOD SCHOOL, 

BATH 

Lansdown Road 

Bath 

BA1 5RG 


Notable fixtures MCC, XL Club, 

Clifton College 


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 



LANCING COLLEGE 

Lancing 

West Sussex 

BN15 0RW 


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 


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 

Spin king: 

Mason Crane 

bowls for 

Hampshire 

LEICESTER GRAMMAR 

SCHOOL 

London Road 

Great Glen 

Leicester 

LE8 9FL 



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 

LORD WANDSWORTH 

COLLEGE 

Long Sutton 

Hook 

Hampshire 

RG29 1TB 


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 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, Fettes, 

Merchiston Castle, Glenalmond, 

Strathallan, Edinburgh Academy 

Cricket professional John Blain 

(Northamptonshire, Yorkshire & 

Scotland) 


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 s 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 



LOUGHBOROUGH 


3 Burton Walks 

Loughborough 

LE11 2DU 


Notable fixtures MCC, Manchester 

Grammar School 

Master i/c cricket Martyn Gidley 

(Leicestershire, Free State, 

Griqualand West) 


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 


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) 

Pace ace: 

Harry 

Gurney 

in action 

for Notts 

MAGDALEN COLLEGE 

SCHOOL, OXFORD 

Cowley Place 

Oxford 

OX4 1DZ 


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) 


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 

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 


WR14 3DF 


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 Köhler- 

Cadmore (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 



MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE 

Bath Road 

Marlborough 

SN8 1PA 


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 

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 


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 

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 

Special Award 


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 



Cricket professional Nasser Hussain 


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 


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 


Enjoyment and 

excellence for all 

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. 

The Mary Erskine School 

Stewart’s Melville College 

The Junior School 

Stewart’s 

Melville College 

• Featured in the UK's Top 100 

Cricketing Schools 2015 by The 

Cricketer Magazine 

• 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 

admissions@esms.org.uk 

www.esms.org.uk 

Discover 

cricket at 

Haileybury offers coaching by an international cricket 

professional, sports scholarships and a high performance 

programme. For more information contact the Registrar 

at: registrar@haileybury.com 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 

haileybury.com @HaileyburyUK HaileyburyUK 

Registered charity number 310013 

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 

admissions@lancing.org.uk • 01273 465805 

www.lancingcollege.co.uk


NOTTINGHAM HIGH 

SCHOOL 

Waverley Mount 

Nottingham 

NG7 4ED 


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 

Star of his day: Reg Simpson played 27 Tests 

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 


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 

Great shot: The late Mark Saxelby 

OAKHAM SCHOOL 

Chapel Close 

Market Place 

Oakham 

Rutland 

LE15 6DT 


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, 


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 



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 


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” 

Special Award 


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 



OUNDLE SCHOOL 

Church Street 

Oundle 

Peterborough 

PE8 4EE 


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 


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 

Big pull: John Crawley batting for Hampshire 

PRINCE HENRY’S HIGH 

SCHOOL 

Victoria Avenue 

Evesham 


WR11 4QH 


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 


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 




QUEEN 

ELIZABETH 

GRAMMAR 

SCHOOL 

154 Northgate 

Wakefield 

WF1 3QX 

RADLEY 

COLLEGE 

Kennington Road 

Radley 

Abingdon 

Oxfordshire 

OX14 2HR 

Top man: 

England’s 

Andrew 

Strauss 


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 


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 … 


Notable fixtures Cowdrey Cup (Eton, 

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 


Brief history Radley’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 

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 

REED’S SCHOOL 

Sandy Lane 

Cobham 

Surrey 

KT11 2ES 


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 



REPTON 

SCHOOL 

The Lodge 

Repton 

Derby 

DE65 6FH 


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 



ROYAL GRAMMAR 

SCHOOL, GUILDFORD 

High Street 

Guildford 

GU1 3BB 


Notable fixtures MCC, Whitgift, 

Cranleigh 

Teams The school regularly fields 

15 sides on Saturdays with games 

Fast show: Bob 

Willis took 325 

Test wickets 

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 


RYDAL PENRHOS 

Pwllycrochan Avenue 

Colwyn Bay 

Colwyn 

LL29 7BT 


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 

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 

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 


SEDBERGH SCHOOL 

Station Road 

Sedbergh 

Cumbria 

LA10 5HG 


Notable fixtures Yorkshire Academy, 

Durham Academy, Shrewsbury, 

Bromsgrove, MCC, annual BOWS 

Festival (Brighton College, Oakham, 

Wellington College) 

Cricket professional Martin Speight 

(Sussex, Durham) 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, King’s 

Canterbury, Judd 

Cricket professionals Chris Tavare 

(Kent, Somerset & England), David 

Smith 


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 


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 Graham- 

Brown (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 



SHERBORNE SCHOOL 

Abbey Road 

Sherborne 

Dorset 

DT9 3AP 

SHENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL 

Alexander Lane 

Brentwood 

Essex 

CM15 8RY 


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 


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 yearround 

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 


Notable fixtures King’s Taunton, 

Millfield, Canford 

Cricket professionals Tom Flowers, 

Alan Willows (Sussex) 


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 

Successful: Hampshire’s Jimmy Adams 



Special Award 


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 


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, 


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 



SOUTH DARTMOOR 

COMMUNITY COLLEGE 

Balland Lane 

Ashburton 

Devon 

TQ13 7EW 


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 

ST BENEDICT’S SCHOOL 

54 Eaton Rise 

Ealing 

London 

W5 2ES 


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 


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 high- 

quality 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 



ST EDWARD’S OXFORD 

Woodstock Road 

Oxford 

OX2 7NN 


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 


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 


Sporting success at 

Enquire about our Sports Scholarships for 13+ and 16+ Entry. 

e | admissions@stowe.co.uk 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 


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 


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 

Notable: 

England’s Jonny 

Bairstow went to 

St Peter’s 

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 



STEWART’S MELVILLE 

COLLEGE 

Queensferry Road 

Edinburgh 

EH4 3EZ 


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 


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 


Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire 

Cricketers of note Ben Duckett 

(Northamptonshire), Graeme White 

(Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire) 

Sean Morris (Hampshire), Rob White 

(Northamptonshire) Jason De La 

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 40- 

over 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 


LS17 8GS 

SUTTON 

VALENCE 

SCHOOL 

North Street 

Sutton Valence 

Maidstone 

Kent 

ME17 3HL 


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 


Brief history The first recorded match 

Talented: Batsman and umpire Mark Benson 

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 

Established Leeds Grammar 

School was formed in 1552 


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 


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 



THE KING’S SCHOOL, 

MACCLESFIELD 

Cumberland Street 

Macclesfield 

Cheshire 

SK10 1DA 

THE JUDD SCHOOL 

Brook Street 

Tonbridge 

Kent 

TN9 2PN 


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 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, Sedbergh, The 

Grammar School At Leeds, Bolton GS, 

RGS Lancaster, Manchester GS 

Cricket professional Andy Kennedy 

(Lancashire) 


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 


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 


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 


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 

Golden boy: 

Former England 

batsman David 

Gower was at 

King’s School, 

Canterbury 

THE LEYS SCHOOL 

Fen Causeway 

Cambridge 

CB2 7AD 


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 


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 



THE MANCHESTER 


Old Hall Lane 

Manchester 

M13 0XT 


Notable fixtures Shrewsbury, Sedbergh, 

MCC 

Director of cricket Mike Watkinson 

(Lancashire & England) 


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 

Honours: Mike 

Atherton has 

shone with his 

batting, writing and 

broadcasting 

Brief history Boys are provided with many 

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 


THE ORATORY SCHOOL 

The Oratory School 

Woodcote 

Nr Reading 

South Oxfordshire 

RG8 0PJ 


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 

TONBRIDGE SCHOOL 

High Street 

Tonbridge 

Kent 

TN9 1JP 


Notable fixtures Haileybury, 

Charterhouse, Harrow, Eton 

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 


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 

Special Award 


THE 

CRICKETER 

SPECIAL 

AWARD FOR 

EXCELLENCE 

The playing 

fi e l d so f 

England. 

A rich and 

varied history. 

All-round 

excellence 

in facilities, 

coaching and 

playing 



TRENT COLLEGE 

Derby Road 

Long Eaton 

Nottingham 

NG10 4AD 


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 

Test class: Mark 

Butcher averaged 

152 for Trinity in 

the 1987 season 

TRINITY SCHOOL 

Shirley Park 

Croydon 

CR9 7AT 

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 


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 


Notable fixtures MCC, Repton, 

Haileybury, Shrewsbury, Rugby, 

Oundle 

Cricket professional Trevor Ward 

(Kent, Leicestershire) 


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 


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 



WELLINGBOROUGH 

SCHOOL 

London Road 

Wellingborough 


NN8 2BX 



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 

Facilities Two indoor nets, seven 

synthetic outdoor nets, four grass 

squares 



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 

WELLINGTON COLLEGE 

Duke’s Ride 

Crowthorne 

West Berkshire 

RG45 v7PU 


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 


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 


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 

Blaster: 

Jason Roy 

learned his 

cricket at 

Whitgift 

WHITGIFT SCHOOL 

Haling Park 

South Croydon 

CR2 6YT 


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 

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 


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” 


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. 

www.forest.org.uk 

info@forest.org.uk 

020 8520 1744 

Cricket at The Leys 

www.theleys.net 

The Leys is the only co-educational boarding and day school 

in Cambridge for 11-18 year olds 

The Cricketer.indd 1 07/10/2015 08:52:43

WINCHESTER COLLEGE 

College Street 

Winchester 

SO23 9NA 

WILSON’S SCHOOL 

Mollison Drive 

Wallington 

Surrey 

SM6 9JW 


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 


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 


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 

Bodyline 

architect: 

Douglas Jardine 

is a famous 

Winchester 

old boy 

Established The school opened in 

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 


Brief history Cricket has been played at 

Winchester from the 17th century. The 

first inter-school match was in 1825. 

Winchester played annual matches at 

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 


WORKSOP SCHOOL 

Sparken Hill 

Worksop 

Nottinghamshire 

S80 3AP 

WOODHOUSE GROVE 

SCHOOL 

Apperley Lane 

Bradford 


BD10 0NR 


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 

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 


Notable fixtures Shrewsbury School, 

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 300- 

acre 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 

67 

24 

52 

6 

68 

11, 20 

58, 91 

61 

94 

12 

77 

100 

53 

85 

65 

24 

72 

93 

48 

59 

62 

8 

82, 89 

57, 89 

50 

47 

60 

79 

31 

25 

86 

3, 4 

92 

1 

34 41 

9, 32, 76 

15 56 

26, 29, 33, 39, 44, 74, 38 

21 36, 37 

84 

THE TOP 100 SCHOOLS 

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 

12 Bromsgrove 

School 

13 Canford School 

14 Charterhouse 

15 Chigwell School 

16 Chislehurst 

& Sidcup 


73 

17 Christ’s Hospital 

18 City of London 

Freemen’s School 

19 Clayesmore 

School 

20 Clifton College 

21 Cranbrook School 

22 Cranleigh School 

23 Dauntsey’s School 

24 Denstone College 

25 Dr Challoner’s 


26 Dulwich College 

27 Durham School 

28 Eastbourne College 

29 Emanuel School 

30 Epsom College 

31 Eton College 

32 Felsted School 

33 Forest School 

34 Framlingham 

College 

43, 81 

35 George Watson’s 

College 

36 Haberdashers’ 

Aske’s Boys’ 

School 

37 Haileybury 

38 Hampton School 

39 Harrow School 

40 Hurstpierpoint 

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 

5, 45 

95 

23 

47 Leicester 


48 Lord Wandsworth 

College 

49 Loretto School 

50 Loughborough 


51 Magdalen College 

School, Oxford 

52 Malvern College 

53 Marlborough 

College 

54 Millfield School 

55 New Hall School 

56 Nottingham 

High School 

57 Oakham School 

58 Ormskirk, 

Lancashire 

59 Oundle School 

60 Prince Henry’s, 

Worcester 

18 13 42 7, 54 

71 98 

51, 63, 14 

75, 87 

55 

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 

17 

40 

2 

10, 46 

28 

75 St John’s School, 

Leatherhead 

76 St Peter’s School, 

York 

77 Stewart’s Melville 

College 

78 Stowe School 

79 Sutton 

Valence School 

80 Taunton 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 


87 The Oratory 

School 

19, 64, 66, 

16, 96, 97 

69, 90 80 

83, 88 

22, 30, 76 

88 Tonbridge School 

89 Trent College 

90 Trinity School, 

Croydon 

91 Uppingham 

School 

92 Warwick School 

93 Wellingborough 

School 

94 Wellington College 

95 Wellington School, 

Somerset 

96 Whitgift School 

97 Wilson’s School 

98 Winchester 

College 

99 Woodhouse 

Grove School 

100 Worksop College 



Fields of glory: 

Cricket action at 

Kimbolton School 

Simon Hughes 

Editor-at-large, 

The Cricketer 

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.

PLAYING

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