The Salopian no. 160 - Summer 2017

SCHOOL NEWS 39
U15 Cricket Tour to UAE Easter 2017
Played 8 matches Won 4 Lost 4
TOUR SQUAD
Back row L to R: Adam Shantry, Henry Wild, Jack Fraser-Andrews, Harry Sutherland, Arthur Garrett, Luke Bourne-Arton, Benedict Coulson, Tommy Price, Andy Barnard
Front row L to R: Joe Pattenden, Daniel Schofield, Issy Wong, Will Stanford-Davies, Jac Evans, Peter Clark, Jack Goodall, Jonathan Snell, Gwenan Davies
This is the first time the School has taken U15s away by
themselves to an overseas tournament. On all previous
occasions they have travelled with a senior squad. Given
the intense heat and busy schedule, the group acquitted
themselves well and all members came out of the tour with
great personal and collective credit. Issy Wong was the first
girl ever to be selected for a school cricket team and returned
to the UK with an enhanced reputation as a cricketer equal
to all the boys we faced from home and abroad. Particular
credit goes to the 3rd formers, who were not overwhelmed
and returned much better placed to ensure the U14s start the
season well.
As a group, they were disciplined and punctual (with a
few small exceptions) and coped very well with the new
and taxing environment. They were good mannered and
were excellent ambassadors for the school. Apart from their
dedicated application on the cricket field they absorbed the
very different culture of the UAE and coped well with the
arduous travelling at the beginning of the tour. Each and every
one was a credit to the school and their individual houses.
Apart from the accompanying staff, much credit must go Paul
Pridgeon and Lauren Walker who had prepared the group
well. Despite the heat and fatigue, only one boy fell ill and
others managed to keep themselves going whilst not at 100%.
Despite the age differences the group worked and got on well.
Adam Shantry (Cricket Professional) and Gwenan Davies
(Head of Girls Cricket) ensured that the group were physically
and mentally well prepared for each and every match and that
the cricket ran smoothly, was scored well and subsequently
reported on Twitter.
Andy Barnard
The major difference between this and
my previous ten years running squash
at Shrewsbury School has been the
privilege of working with David Lau
(O, L6). David is a quite phenomenal
squash player and were he so minded
certainly has the talent to play squash
professionally. David has a complete
armoury of shots combined with a
calm and calculating mind that would
place him in the top 20 players under
Squash
19 in the UK. In fact in Shropshire it is
only the current professional players
or recent ex professional players who
are able to beat David. David has
played for the Kingsland Club and has
recently won its club championship.
David’s play and his quiet and humble
demeanour have endeared him both
to his fellow pupils and the wider
Shropshire squash community. Below
David was Alex Webb (R, U6). Alex is
the second best player I have seen at
Shrewsbury in the last ten years and
he never gave less than his best and
always chased down the seemingly
impossible ball. This was shown in
the house semi-finals when playing vs
David Lau. David won 77 points to 12
in 20 minutes of continuous play. Alex’s
extreme effort levels and athleticism
ensured some very entertaining rallies.
Below these two captains, Charlie
Lennox (U, M) and Stefan Hart (U, Rt)
always worked hard and have made
big strides in their games in the last 5
years. Close behind these two are the
trio of Harry Wasdell (L6, Rt), Ollie
Hall (5, O) and Mungo Hargreaves (L6,
R). I am hopeful next year that one of
these might be able to turn over one
of the OS team. This year David Lau
and I won but the OS who are mostly
around 25 years old proved too canny
although Alex Webb at third string
gave it a real go. The OS team are
captained and managed by Ben Stirk
and OS squash continues to go from
strength to strength.
House squash was won by Oldham’s
beating Severn Hill in the final. David
Lau beat Alex Webb in the school
tournament final in English scoring 9-0
9-0 9-0 a feat he has since reproduced
against myself!
Myles Harding