Pre-Season Cricket Training Pays Off
Over the Easter holidays, the School's cricket squad travelled to Spain to participate in the inaugural The Cricketer Schools 100 tournament, which mirrored The Hundred professional game in its rules. The competition was played on an international size grass pitch constructed to ECB standards and specifications at Desert Springs Resort, Andalucía.
We played all three of the other teams in the tournament, giving opportunities for everyone in the squad to practice their match play. We beat both Scarborough College and Radley College, losing only to overall winners Canterbury Academy.
Our team ethic was great and the boys bonded well, especially when it rained for two days. On top of our two games, we trained in between, with the boys taking ideas on, practising and implementing them, so overall it was a very worthwhile exercise.
First Wins of the Season
With the summer term barely a week old, Winchester's first cricket team already have a number of match successes under their belts, following their pre-season training in Spain. There have been some impressive individual performances, but each member of the 20-strong squad has played his part.
Meeting Portsmouth Grammar School on Saturday, the 1st XI took a win by 183 runs, scoring 274-6 from their 50 overs. Batsmen Chris Batten (VI Book 2, Furley's) made 72, Fletcher Rhodes (VI Book 2, Hawkins') 43, Seb Morgan (MP, Kenny's) 35* and George Gardiner (VI Book 2, Kenny's) 29*. We bowled PGS out for 87, with Callum Whillock (VI Book 2, Hawkins') taking six wickets, after a strong opening spell from both Seb Morgan and Alex Claisse (V Book, Toye's).
The previous weekend the team beat a Hampshire County U16 side by 27 runs on the Saturday, having tied with Hampshire Cricket College in a T20 game on Friday, beat the Free Foresters by five wickets on Sunday, and then beat Hampshire Cricket College again by six wickets in a 50-over match on Tuesday.
We look forward to seeing what lies in store for the rest of the season.
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