TOP 100 SCHOOLS
THE JOHN FISHER SCHOOL TAUNTON SCHOOL Staplegrove Road Taunton Somerset TA2 6AD
Established 1847 Notable fixtures MCC, Millfield. A 1st XI cricket festival every year against Dulwich College, Eastbourne and Ampleforth Cricket professional Marcus Trescothick (Somerset & England) Teams There are boys’ and girls’ teams from year 3. There are 14 teams in the prep school and nine to 10 in the senior Girls’ cricket Senior team, U15 indoor and outdoor team and an U13 indoor and outdoor team. Girls have played since 1976. Jodie Dibble was 1st XI captain, and made the England World T20 squad. This year the U15As reached the National Finals Day, having made it through to regionals of the Lady Taverners Facilities Six grounds, three outdoor nets, with 12 astro and four turf nets
THE JUDD SCHOOL Brook Street Tonbridge TN9 2PN
Established 1888 Notable fixtures Eltham College, Sevenoaks School, King’s School Canterbury Master in charge David Joseph Teams 14 – ranging from 1st XI to U12s Facilities Indoor four-lane sports hall, one main square and ground, eight artificial nets, second ground, two artificial wickets. New detached fields currently being developed to include addition grass squares and artificial wickets Club/county affiliation Kent, through the 52 | thecricketer.com
Club/county affiliation Somerset. The school sponsor Taunton Deane CC and hosts junior county matches Brief history Cricket at the original school near the town centre began with a match between the pupils and the school governors in 1855. The move to the present site was in 1870. John Jameson (later Warwickshire and England) dominated school cricket from 1956 to 1959. In his last summer for the 1st XI he amassed 1,031 runs, including five centuries, three of them in consecutive matches. His average was 93.72, a record again only beaten – and impressively beaten at 193 – by Tom Abell two years ago Cricketers of note Five internationals, 14 senior county players Extras Taunton has long held a place in Somerset as a cricketing school. They have a proud history and have strong links to many clubs and schools within the local area. They have had a number of county and international players and the main school building forms one of the most iconic backdrops on the schools circuit Kent Performance Centre Brief history Judd became the first voluntary-aided grammar school in 1944. Offers academies for year 8 onwards, with training all year round in the four indoor nets within the sports sall. Junior A & B teams are entered into district leagues and Kent Cup Cricketers of note David Fulton, Julian Thompson (both Kent) Extras Full Saturday programme including senior teams. The school regularly appears in Kent Cup finals and lost in the ESCA David English Cup semi-final in 2010. The school runs a winter cricket academy for around 90 boys and tours Barbados biannually at senior level Finest moment on the field Reached the semi-final of the National U13 Cup
Peaks Hill Purley Croydon CR8 3YP
Established 1929 Notable fixtures Tiffin, City of London Freeman’s, Judd, Emanuel School, MCC, Eltham College Teams 11 – U12ABC, U13AB, U14AB, U15AB, 2nd XI, 1st XI Facilities Five outdoor nets, four indoor nets, pavilion Club/county affiliation Surrey Brief history John Fisher’s 1st XI has an annual fixture with the MCC and they were finalists in the 2006 Independent Schools Twenty20 competition played at Edgbaston, losing out to Millfield School. The boys regularly represent clubs, counties and their country at schoolboy level throughout the year Cricketers of note Laurie Evans (Surrey & Warwickshire), Tim Murtagh (Surrey, Middlesex & Ireland), Chris Murtagh (Surrey) Extras A strong reputation and 12 teams competing on Saturdays School’s finest moment on the cricket field? In 2006 the 1st XI reached the HMC Independent Schools T20 Final, bearing in mind they are a state school and lost to Millfield School by five wickets, with two balls to spare. Millfield had Craig Kieswetter and Tom Maynard to name a couple in their team Cultural cricketers The actor Bill Nighy