Cricket
A wide range of opportunities for all levels and all ages
Cricket is the major summer game at Millfield Prep School. In recent times, more and more games for younger pupils have been arranged, with U8s playing matches since 2002. The school currently has a total of 13 sides. The 1st XI, U12s, U11s and U10s all have regular fixtures against county age-group teams such as Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, as well as those from South Wales. Indoor winter coaching sessions are arranged where possible and in the Autumn and Spring terms there are cricket ‘club' activities for all age groups. The school makes excellent use of its bowling machine. The Annual Tour to Devon and Cornwall, started by previous Head of Cricket Bryan Lobb in the 1980s, still continues, while in February 2000 and December 2002 tours to the Cape Town area of South Africa were undertaken.
A proud history of great successes
The 1st XI has regularly entered the Somerset Schools U13 Knock-Out competition, of which they were the very first winners in 1985. The captain that year was Aftab Habib who, in 1999, twice played in Test matches for England. In the last 15 years the County Shield has been won 13 times. In 1997 the School were the first winners of the National Calypso Cup. Since then, we have won again in 2000 (against Nottingham High School) and have twice won its successor, the National David English/Bunbury Cup, in 2004 and 2006. During the latter final game, skipper Daniel B-D completed 1,050 runs for the season - a record which may last for many years to come (although Cameron Steel came very close with a total of 1,036 runs in just 20 innings in 2009). The 1st XI has also won the National Joint Educational Trust Shield for Preparatory Schools four times since 1997 and been runners-up on no fewer than seven occasions since 1992. In the 2004 success, Ross J scored a superb 102 not out. In 2009, the 1st XI became the first-ever winners of the inaugural National Prep Schools Twenty20 Competition - with coloured clothing, white balls and black stumps. This was our thirteenth National success in as many years. We have been national champions in the National 8-a-side U11 Hardball Competition four times since 1998.
Providing the foundation for outstanding futures
Over the years, many school players have represented county sides (mainly Somerset) at U13, U12 and U11. Some have gone on to represent their region and their country. The former Chairman of the England Selectors, David Graveney, was 1st XI captain in 1966. Jonathon Atkinson (captain in 1981), Harvey Trump (captain in 1982) and Wesley Durston (captain in 1994) have all gone on to play first-class cricket for Somerset. The late Ben Hollioake, tragically killed in a road accident in Australia in 2002, was a talented member of the 1st XI in 1990 and 1991, making his full England debut just six years after leaving Millfield Prep. James Hildreth was captain in 1998, scoring 821 runs. Two years later he opened the batting for England U15's in the World Cup. 2003 saw his full Somerset debut. In 2009, Max Waller (1st XI Captain in 2001) became an established Somerset 1st XI player.
