Director of Cricket, Patrick Latham, tells us more:-
“The first half of the summer term has been a rollercoaster ride, with 58 matches completed in spite of one of the wettest starts to the season I can remember.
Boys’ 1st XI
A washout for the first three weeks of term prevented much cricket at all, however, the boys’ 1st XI did manage to get in the opening rounds of the T20 National Cup off to a fantastic start with wins over Wellingborough and Uppingham. Facing Uppingham again in the block fixture, the boys managed to complete an incredible 280 run chase with a match-winning performance from captain Joe Johnson with 5 wickets and 145 not out to see the school over the line. The U15A girls recorded a fantastic win on the same day over Uppingham, beating them as they did by 9 wickets.
Girls’ 1st XI
The girls’ 1st XI have enjoyed some challenging fixtures in the first half of the season, starting against our local female team, Marko Marvels, from Market Overton. For our girls to play against the leading female team in the area was a brilliant educational exercise, showing them how women can play the game, diving in the field and attacking the ball with the bat. This was followed up by our inaugural MCC fixture, played this year at Oundle School. Again, a wonderful opportunity to see up close and play against some of the leading club players from the area to get a good view at how we want our girls to play the game.
Senior boys’ teams
The senior boys’ teams have had a challenging start to the season, but it is always fantastic to hear reports of individual successes, the odd win but more importantly, the sportsmanship, camaraderie and general good humour with which the boys go about playing their fixtures. They are a credit to the school and their coaches, who remain positive and encouraging throughout. The improvements are there with each passing game, which is great to see.
U15 girls
The U15 girls are an exciting bunch to watch. The introduction of Mark Hudson, Cricket Development Officer for Women at this level, has done wonders for the girls and they are rocketing forwards with positivity, enthusiasm and a large degree of success. After a loss to Oundle in the National Cup at the start of the season, the girls have gone on to enjoy huge wins over Uppingham and Stamford. A notable performance came from Libby Hoyles (F3) in the Stamford game, where she scored 98 and took 4 wickets for 1 run in 7 balls. A 50 from Sophia Rice supported Libby as the pair put on a stand of 161 runs.
U15 boys
The U15 boys have continued to show improvements, with Magnus Robertson attending Cricket Scotland U15 squad training as well as a call-up to represent the 1st XI along with captain Hugo Neve. The U15B are looking like the team to beat, with three wins from their four matches so far.
U14 boys
The U14 boys have again had challenging fixtures and have been beaten by some large margins. To their credit, the boys have taken this on the chin and have rallied together, showing immense spirit, determination and remarkable improvement. The wins are coming closer with every game, and with continued belief and work, they will enjoy success in the coming half-term. A notable fixture for the U14B came at Denstone, where Oakham found themselves 9 runs for 6 wickets, staring down the barrel.. Henry Elton hit a quickfire 49 to get Oakham up to a meagre looking 62 all out. It was going to take something extraordinary to push Denstone, and that performance came from Toby James who too four wickets in the reply, helping to bowl Denstone out for 32. In the U14A game, Thomas Ruddle bowled beautifully to record figures of 6 for 23 in 6 overs.
Lower School
In the lower school, the girls are enjoying the move to hardball matches, and it is great to see Lucy Carr playing a full part in the LS 1st XI. The coaches are working hard with the players, and big steps forward are evident from U13C all the way through.
My thanks go to all who have made the first half of term go so smoothly in difficult weather conditions. The coaches and players, ground staff and caterers and all the spectators who take the time to come and support the school at Wilson, Doncaster Close or wherever the boys and girls are playing!”
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