Sport Sports List Cricket
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a major summer game at the Preparatory School. In recent times, more and more games for younger pupils have been arranged and 2002 saw the first-ever U8 matches. The School now has a total of 15 sides.
The 1st XI, U12’s, U11’s and U10’s all have regular fixtures against county age-group teams such as Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, as well as those from South Wales. In recent years, the 1st XI has also played host to a number of touring South African Preparatory School sides.
The 1st XI has regularly entered the Somerset Schools U13 Knock-Out competition (started in 1985) and, indeed, were the very first winners. 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, defeating Royal Grammar School from Lancaster by 8 wickets in the final at Headingley in Leeds. Since then, we have won again in 2000 (against Nottingham High School) and twice been runners-up. In 2004 we were the first winners of the National David English/Bunbury Cup (Calypso’s successor), defeating Christ Church Middle School from Staffordshire by 10 wickets in the final at Headingley. In 2006, we won the competition for a fourth time, defeating Loughborough Grammar School by 4 wickets in a thrilling final. During this game, skipper Daniel B-D completed 1,050 runs for the season – a record which may last for many years to come. The 1st XI has also won the National Joint Educational Trust Shield for Preparatory Schools five times (in 1986, 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2006) and been runners-up on no fewer than six occasions since 1992. In the 2004 success, Ross Jenkins scored a superb 102 not out.
In 1995 the School entered the National 8-a-side U11 Hardball Competition for the first time, finishing as runners-up in the final at Headingley. Since then we have been national champions in 1998 (Edgbaston) and in 2001 (Old Trafford) In 2005 we were national champions for the third time.
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.
Indoor winter coaching sessions are squeezed in where possible and since September 2004 Level 3 Coach David Beal has done much good work. In the Autumn and Spring terms there are cricket ‘club’ activities for all age groups. Much good use is made of a bowling machine purchased by the School in 1997.
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 even England. 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. Ben made his full England debut just six years after leaving Millfield Prep.
The 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. 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. Robin Lett (1st XI, 1999-2000) made his full Somerset debut in 2006. British Lions rugby player Matt Perry was the captain in 1990 while two years later it was Joey Barrington, son of six times World Squash champion, Jonah Barrington.
Close links are maintained with Millfield School where Master In charge of Cricket Richard Ellison and Coach Mark Davis are always very supportive and keen to know what talent is soon to emerge from the Prep School. Normally, around half of Millfield’s 1st XI are ‘ex-MPS’, while the same proportion were in the Lord’s Taverners U15 trophy winning side of 2002. Seven of the Millfield U15 side which won the first-ever National Twenty20 Competition in 2006 came from the Preparatory School.