Reports 2014

1st XI Report by Coach Andy Barnard

The 2014 season will be viewed as a little disappointing given the level of success achieved in 2013, but nevertheless the headline outcomes and achievements stand up to the level of recent years. The notable achievement of winning the Silk Trophy for the second successive year, away from home cannot be underestimated. Underlying our season was a long list of injuries that handicapped us more than at any other time since I have been in charge. We lost five front line seam bowlers (Barnard, Cooke, Carrasco, Cook and Durman) and therefore relied heavily on a small group of bowlers who did their best in the circumstances. When I think back to the season, we did incredibly well and overcame much throughout the summer term.

The U15s advancement to the ESCA/ECB National Schools T20 Finals Day at Arundel in September was equally impressive and a great number of this squad consistently performed well above our expectations and deserve many congratulations. Perhaps the biggest dent to our development came when our promising Under-14s lost at the county semi-final stage of the Lord’s Taverners Trophy and will not now go on to represent Shropshire on the national stage in 2015.

The upcoming tour to the UAE and South Africa will be crucial in trying to sustain the success of recent years but it will also prove useful in binding together two new squads to the forthcoming season. The introduction of U14 and U15 girls creates another fantastic opportunity within our sport to expand and develop. The demands of school in the summer term do not diminish, but the cricket management and coaching staff are as determined as ever to provide the correct environment that allows all our boys and girls to play, progress, compete and enjoy their cricket.

ALL MATCHES Played 23 Won 14 Lost 6 Drawn/Abandoned 3

50/over Matches Played 20 Won 12 Lost 5 Drawn/Abandoned 3

T 20 Matches Played 3 Won 2 Lost 1

Pre-Season Festival at Shrewsbury

15th April Shrewsbury School 167 all out (J. Humes 32 , E. Barnard 27) v Worksop College 151 all out (C. White 3 for 24, H. Blofield 4 for 21, C. Kidson 2 for 49) SHREWSBURY WON

16th April Worcestershire Academy 280 for 5 (C. Kidson 2 for 55) v Shrewsbury School 88 all out (F. Earlam 33 not out, H. Blofield 20) WORCETERSHIRE ACADEMY WON

Shrewsbury School vs Millfield School (see below) MILLFIELD WON

Regular Season Results (including highlights)

23rd April HOME Shrewsbury School 178 for 7 (G. Lewis 70) v Shropshire Development XI 179 for 5 (C. Home 3 for 24) MATCH LOST by 5 WKTS

27th April HOME MCC 150 all out ( H. Blofield 3 for 21, C. White 3 for 23 , G. Lewis 2 for 19) v Shrewsbury School 67 for 4 (E. Barnard 30 not out) MATCH ABANDONED 30th April HOME Free Foresters 164-5 v Shrewsbury School 165-2 (O. Westbury 69*) WON BY 8

3rd May AWAY Trent College 158 all out v Shrewsbury School 160-0 (O. Westbury 75*, G. Lewis 59*) WON BY 10 WICKETS

7th May AWAY Denstone 215-7 v Shrewsbury School 213-9 LOST BY 2 RUNS

10th May HOME Shrewsbury School 233-7 v Repton School 155-6 WON BY 78 RUNS

17th May HOME Sedbergh 108 all out v Shrewsbury School 111-1 (O. Westbury 81) WON BY 9 WICKETS

4th June HOME Shrewsbury School v Myerscough College MATCH CANCELLED - RAIN

7th June AWAY Malvern College v Shrewsbury School MATCH CANCELLED - RAIN

14th June HOME Shrewsbury School 205-8 v Manchester Grammar School 101 all out (H. Blofield 5-29) WON BY 104 RUNS

21st June AWAY Bedford School 337-8 v Shrewsbury School 166 all out (G. Panayi 50) LOST BY 171 RUNS

25th & 26th June AWAY Shrewsbury School 237-7 dec. (W Cook 101) & 228-4 (O. Westbury 104) v Uppingham School 212-3 dec. & 108 WON BY 145 RUNS

28th June HOME Shrewsbury School 120-9 (20 overs) v Xavier College, Melbourne 69-9 WON BY 51 RUNS

Silk Trophy Festival at Oundle

Day 1 Monday 30th June Oundle 73 (Blofield 5-6) v Shrewsbury 77/2 (Barnard 33*, Durman 20)

Day 2 Tuesday 1st July Shrewsbury 196/7 (Barnard 54, Cook 31, Westbury 27, Panayi 26) v Rondebosch 115 (Blofield 5-33, Panayi 3-23)

Day 3 Wednesday 2nd July Eton 141 (Blofield 4-19, Panayi 2-24, White 2-26), Shrewsbury 142/7 (Barnard 42)

HMC T20 2014

1st Round – Round Robin Match 1 – Shrewsbury 177-9, Canon Slade 25

1st Round –Round Robin Match 2 – Leicester GS 66, Shrewsbury 67-2

2nd Round – Bromsgrove 184-6, Shrewsbury 152

School Sport Magazine National Under 17 Cup

1st Round –Bye 2nd Round Shrewsbury 190-4, Wrekin 110-7

3rd Round Shrewsbury 149 all out, Bromsgrove 150-7

During the Pre Season Festival we were visited by the Cricketer Magazine reporter, Francis Kelly, who wrote the following article in the June 2014 Edition. The link to the original article can be found on the School website www.shrewsbury.org.uk/page/latest-cricket-news

Match of the Month: Shrewsbury School V Millfield School at Shrewsbury, 17th April 2014

Shrewsbury School

Dan Durman c Ebs’-Burland b Hankins 58

Joe Carrasco c Scott b Collin 13

Harry Adair b Collin 7

Ed Barnard* c Hankins b Fullard 129

George Lewis lbw b Bartlett 1

Will Cook c Moroney b Fullard 18

Henry Blofield not out 16

Fred Earlam c Philips b Hankins 0

Jamie Humes run out Hankins 0

Charlie Kidson -

George Panayi -

Charlie White -

Tom Breese -

Extras 20wd 3nb 1lb 2b 26

Total 50.0 overs 268-8

Fall of wickets 33 43 202 204 246

252 260 268

Bowling Fullard 10-1-64-2, Collin 9-0-45-2

Bartlett 8-0-35-1, Moroney 10-0-39-2,

Hankins 11-0-65-2, Symes 2-0-17-0

MILLFIELD SCHOOL (WON TOSS)

Tom Bradshaw c Blofield b White 5

Tom Lace lbw b Panayi 14

George Bartlett c Carrasco b Panayi 10

John Stratton* c Humes b Lewis 45

George Hankins c Kidson b Breese 76

Freddie Oldfield† c Barnard b Blofield 39

Olly Ebsworth-Burland st Humes b Breese 4

Max Phillips run out Cook 25

Jake Symes not out 24

Gem Collin not out 3

Ben Fullard -

David Scott -

Matt Moroney -

Extras 17wd 0nb 3lb 3b 23

Total 49.3 overs 269-8

Fall of wickets 17 27 46 138 181

193 222 257

Bowling Panayi 9.3-1-45-2, White 10-0-45-1,

Breese 6-0-33-2, Blofield 10-0-56-1,

Kidson 7-0-46-1, Lewis 7-0-37-1

MILLFIELD SCHOOL WON BY 2 WICKETS

Sir Neville Cardus once heralded Shrewsbury School as possessing “the most beautiful playing fields in the world, spreading and imperceptibly mingling with the pasture land of Shropshire”.

He was not wrong. Even under a bracing April sky the is crisp and the ground reaches out across the horizon a lush green of spring.

The wind swirls around the semi-sheltered pitch like the arms of Alan Richardson who, up until his switch from Worcestershire seamer to Warwickshire bowling coach, used to assist in training at the school.

A gaggle of spectators huddle on the benches adorning the outfield. This is the third of three games in a pre- season cricket festival which also involves Worksop College and a Worcestershire development side. Mark Garaway, director of cricket at Millfield, believes it to be the most successful event since he first attended three years ago – despite watching his bowlers let slip a promising start to allow Shrewsbury to rocket to 268 for 8 in their 50 overs. Expectations have grown at Shrewsbury since the development of indoor facilities in 2006. They continue to be coached by the former Worcestershire bowler Paul Pridgeon and in 2013 returned unprecedented success across all age groups. “The indoor school initially allowed us to bring on our previous good standard to very good,” says Andrew Barnard, Shrewsbury’s master of cricket. “We’ve been able to build a winter programme, work with counties and foster our relationships with their boards.”

One schoolboy to benefit is Andrew’s son, Ed, the instigator of Millfield’s ill fortune. A rangy right-handed batsman, he had arrived back from the Under-19 World Cup held in the UAE – where England flayed India and Australia to finish third – just over a month before. The conditions at Shrewsbury are a little different from those he experienced in Dubai, Barnard admits post-innings. Nonetheless, after surviving a dropped catch in the slips he quickly goes about making 129 and inspiring his side to a challenging total. But the Millfield batsmen show no signs of early-season rustiness, much to the pleasure of Garaway. “The key is transition from indoor to out,” he explains, indicating the areas of improvement made by the players. This includes running between the wickets, which all-rounder George Hankins demonstrates well to keep on top of the chase and pull off a courageous comeback as Millfield win by two wickets.

Shrewsbury retain the Silk Trophy for the first time as reported by Rob Morris on Wednesday 2nd July 2014

Shrewsbury retained the Silk Trophy in the most competitive game in the 2104 festival. Having accounted for both Oundle and Rondebosch HS, Cape Town (the South African T20 Champions) with ease over the last two days, Shrewsbury knew that Eton were looking to avenge their defeat last year on home soil to the all-conquering Salopians and with Rondebosch likely to beat Oundle, only a win would do for Shrewsbury.

Eton won the toss and chose to bat in perfect conditions on a pitch that would be likely to deteriorate during the day. Eton started slowly against the accurate bowling of George Panayi and Charlie White before the former picked up the first wicket with a stunning slip catch by with the score on 36. The introduction of the prolific Henry Blofield into the attack saw him remove the Eton skipper Jamie Gnodde, when the umpire adjudged him caught at the wicket with the score on 70 after 20 overs. He was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Russell.

The next pair added 50 in quick time and with the score on 124/3 in the 33rd over, Eton look poised for a big and challenging total. Some astute bowling changes by Henry Blofield spelled disaster for Eton as Charlie White wiped out the middle order with two wickets in an over and suddenly Eton were 130/6. Blofield reintroduced himself keen to add to the tally of 12 wickets under his belt and was quickly rewarded with another wicket as Eton slumped to 134/8. George Panayi was reintroduced to mop up the tail but not before Blofield picked up his 4th wicket with the first ball of his final over in school cricket. Five balls bowled to the Eton number 11 failed to yield Blofield his 3rd consecutive five wicket haul, but Panayi picked up his 2nd wicket when Eton's number 10 holed out to Carrasco.

Shrewsbury started cautiously, with the knowledge that Rondebosch had trounced Oundle by lunchtime and that they were just behind Shrewsbury on run rate. Westbury went for 7 with score on 10 driving at a wide delivery. Harry Adair and Ed Barnard put on 30 before the former was caught at slip then Joe Carrasco quickly followed. Ed Barnard quietly accumulated runs while Cook at the other end was more muscular in his approach. With the score on 87/3 in the 31st over, Shrewsbury seemed well poised before a middle order collapse saw them slump to 102/7 as Will Cook, Ed Barnard, George Lewis and George Panayi all went in quick succession trying to force the pace against the slow bowlers.

Eton had their tails up and scented victory; however Jamie Humes and Henry Blofield had other ideas. With the scorer calculating run rates ball by ball, the pair nudged and nurdled their way to 142. Despite many LBW shouts, a dropped catch and some very hairy runs, they edged their way towards the target. Three consecutive maiden overs were played out as the pitch began turning like a test match track on the sub-continent and the runs per over target went above 4 for the first time in the innings. Shrewsbury were now comfortably above Rondebosch on run rate but could not afford to lose wickets.

The return of opening bowler McMillan with 5 overs to go and 20 still needed played into Shrewsbury's hands. Three dot balls were followed by a scrambled two through the leg side, then inexplicably he bowled a waist high full toss that Humes smote to the mid-wicket boundary for six. Suddenly, the pressure was off and Shrewsbury reached their target with 14 balls to spare.

All of the Shrewsbury players had played their part in retaining the Silk Trophy – the first time this had been achieved by a Shrewsbury side in 24 years of the Silk Trophy. Despite not being able to defend their HMC T20 and School Sports Magazine National Under-17 titles, they all should be proud of their achievement this season.

1st XI Player Reports 2014

Henry Blofield, having made such a significant impact for the last year two, could not have thought that his 2014 season would result in him adding to his leadership, individual and team achievements. By referencing the past eight years of Wisden’s schoolboy stats, I can say that Henry’s figures this year would place him in the top ten performers of that era.

Once again he was most definitely at his peak at the most important time. His 5 for 6 in the Silk Trophy match versus Oundle was outstanding but on the second day, against an international laden Rondebosch, he performed as well as a bowler could. He followed up his two 5 wicket halls with another outstanding display when taking 4 for 19 against Eton College on day three. He then held the tail together to see us over the line with some gritty batting, a fitting finale to our most successfully all rounder and captain.

So impressed were we with his performances this year that we nominated him for the ‘Wisden Young Cricketer of the Year 2014’.

Edward Barnard, having suffered last season with a stress fracture, was further frustrated by a side strain that once again kept him out of our bowling attack. Despite his frustration and limited athleticism, he sustained our batting and showed his true quality during the pre season festival v Millfield School and throughout the Silk Trophy. Here his consistency and watchfulness on some poor surfaces enabled the team to build three totals around him when compiling solid batting performances of 33*, 54 & 42.

Edward also shared the captaincy with Henry Blofield and remained a valuable source of information and tactics as we often struggled to overcome our bowling imbalance. His two years’ career at school may well have bene truncated, but he will be buoyed by the achievements of the team and ultimately his part in helping us make history when retaining the Silk Trophy. It must not be forgotten that during his time at school he competed in a one major overseas tour and an U19 World Cup (3rd Place). He leaves to take up a two-year contract at Worcestershire CCC.

Joe Carrasco suffered throughout the season with a series of shoulder and knee injuries that not only restricted his appearances but also his performances. He found bowling impossible, batting painful and running challenging; otherwise he was in perfect health. In reality he could well have spent the whole school season on the bench, but despite these injuries he put himself in the front line week after week. He may not have scored the weight of runs he would have liked but he supported the team and gave his all in trying to overcome his restrictions and limitations. It has been suggested, rather cruelly by some, that he may well have gone backwards during his time at school, but my view is different. He has contributed and made himself consistently available, shown courage and pride in trying to do justice to the support he has received from the Cassidy family. I am convinced that his career at Shrewsbury will be just one short chapter in a much longer and richer cricketing career. His contribution has been outstanding and we wish him luck playing cricket in New Zealand this winter.

Will Cook also suffered from injuries and whilst we never saw the consistent best of him this season, he was the most fantastic team member throughout his two years at Shrewsbury. Never failing in his preparation and enthusiasm, Will deserved better statistical returns but he rarely produced the consistency of performance he desired. He remained a key part of our middle order and his century against Uppingham was applauded by all and should be cherished alongside his equally important 31 against Rondebosch on the second day of the Silk. In that match he produced an innings that helped us build a solid score on a bowler-friendly surface. It was a great shame that he could not return to his best form with the ball and we certainly could have done with his extra help in the T20 series. Regardless of all his highs and lows during his two years, Will played his part in securing two Silk Trophies and a National T20 victory.

Charles Kidson has had the most exciting 1st XI career over the past two seasons and I can honestly say that he has been the most unpredictable player we have consistently selected during my time as Master i/c Cricket. He was difficult to pin down at times this year but eventually stuck to his task and supported the team in overcoming the odds to hoist another trophy. He has been a team member of one of the most successful cup-winning squads to have performed on the Top Common and, while he would be the first to admit that he did not always perform to his true potential, he supported the team in any way he could. His fielding improved dramatically this year, he looked sharper than before as his concentration improved. He always offered the opposition a challenge when he bowled but varied too much in length and line to threaten with the ball and his batting remained too idiosyncratic to trouble the scorer consistently. Charles clearly loves his cricket and I do hope that he works hard at his game and plays for many years to come.

Charlie White took on a different role for the team this year after a number of our seamers succumbed to injury. His work rate greatly increased from 2013 and he illustrated his greater resilience when claiming two wickets in the vital Silk Trophy last match win over Eton at Oundle. Throughout the season he was always a threat with the new ball and could easily have doubled his wicket tally but perhaps suffered from bad luck on a number of occasions and, maybe, he was guilty of bowling a little too wide early on and then over-compensating by bowling too straight. Nevertheless, he offered the team over a hundred overs during the season and was still there at the end of the season providing the quality of out-swing bowling for which he will be remembered.

Oliver Westbury made the most superb start to his cricket career at Shrewsbury back in April 2014 and his consistency was very important in keeping the 1st XI performances on track throughout most of April and May. Despite a slight stalling of form as the end of the school season drew to a close, he can be very proud of his contribution and progress to date. He topped the batting averages and, when called upon due to a long list of injuries, bowled with increasing confidence and success. As he prepares for the upcoming tour to the UAE & South Africa as Vice-Captain, I happily recall the spirit and fight he showed when our U17s slipped to a poor result at Bromsgrove last May and I hope that he continues to show the same attitude and application to every school match he plays in.

George Lewis continued to show promise and applied himself well throughout the season but as you can see from the stats below George had similar figures in both 2013 and 2014 and it must be said that, on a mathematical basis alone, progress is difficult to detect. . But stats do not tell the full story and George’s presence in the team has been incalculable. Nevertheless, as he steps up to take the reigns of captaincy on tour and in 2015 he will understand that the competition for top order batting places has only increased with the promotion of two more opening batsman. I am confident the George will react positively to the situation and help the team to develop and gain success as we look forward to a home Silk Trophy next July.

Jamie Humes matured better than we had hoped during the 2014 season. As a team player he was positive and ever present behind the stumps. His apprenticeship has paid off and it was fitting that he was batting when we won the Silk Trophy at Oundle. His 6 towards the end of the match, in partnership with Henry Blofield, eventually swung the game our way and eased the nerves of all those watching from the side. As he looks forward to further excellent work behind the stumps, on tour and during the 2015 season, he will be aware that there is still much to do and despite the final success of 2014 it was not all roses last year. He can look forward to greater batting responsibility (particularly in the T20 series) and a leadership role, as he seeks to help the senior players extract the best from a new and exciting 1st XI squad.

George Panayi took on more responsibility than we had envisaged when the season started in April but responded superbly by providing the team with not only a spearhead but also an element of control. Not only did he continue to show promise, and progress, throughout with the ball but further developed his batting potential with a number of high quality knocks that often got our middle order out of trouble. In summary, his bowling and batting has been very good this season but his anticipation and pace in the field are very much works in progress. George gets an A* from me this season but he will be fully aware that, as far as his cricket career is concerned, the next match is the only focus he requires. As he embarks on his third year in the 1st XI, I hope he is as hungry for success as he was two years ago.

Dan Durman made a solid contribution to the team in his first season and made a telling contribution as an opener in the Silk Trophy success at Oundle. He was handicapped by an elbow injury throughout much of the summer that reduced his capacity as an all-rounder but he showed potential with the bat on a number of occasions. Dan is a good fielder and astute cricketer. As he prepares to tour in December and play an unrestricted summer in 2015, he should look to progress all his skills and compete strongly to establish himself as the key all-rounder in the team. The demanding tour will be the perfect platform for him to do this.

Harry Adair will naturally be disappointed with his statistical return last season but we saw enough of him throughout to understand that he could play a leading role in the team for the next two years. His appetite, practice and discipline demands better returns and we are sure that, given the opportunity, he can flourish at the top of the order. Nevertheless, he still has much to learn and we are now very keen for him to further improve his awareness at the crease and, more particularly, his running between the wickets. I am pleased to report that he showed good progress in his fielding skills last summer but we challenge him now to become a top fielder, with good anticipation, all- round concentration and a fast arm.

2nd XI Report by Coach Matt Barrett

Played 9 Won 5 Lost 4

Key Batsmen Key Bowlers

Name Runs Average Name Wickets Average F. Earlam 218 54.5 S. Green 17 12.5

F. Adair 120 20 J. Small 8 21.8

J. Warburg 100 16.7 C. Kidson 6 9.0

C. Adams 83 27.7 H. Craig 6 29.5

N. Pearce 5 15.6

With a crop of promising Lower Sixth players joining a core of the stalwarts of the previous season’s 2nd XI, there was cause for optimism about the strength of the team at the start of term. However, with a shorter term and a seemingly endless exam schedule, the fixture list was shorter than usual, at ten plus the Cheadle T20 festival.

On the first Saturday, with what looked an excellent team on paper, the Millfield game was cancelled due to weather. Then a week later the Trent College game was also cancelled. Fortunately, in between these fixtures we were able to compete successfully in the Cheadle T20 tournament held this year at Shrewsbury. In the first match, King’s Macclesfield scored a competitive 110 for 7 in their 20 overs, with Henry Craig taking 3-23 and Charlie Kidson economical with 2-13. After losing Freddie Adair with the score on 5, Freddie Earlam and Charlie Adams then put on a solid 69-run partnership for the second wicket. Despite being slightly behind the run rate, Shrewsbury had wickets in hand. Shrewsbury needed 8 off the final over but lost Kidson second ball. With 6 required, Nick Pearce glided the ball to 3rd Man and took three to leave Dan Durman with two balls and needing 3 runs. The next ball was a dot. Three needed off the last (two to win on wickets lost). Dan calmly lifted an over-pitched Yorker over the midfield boundary for 6!

In the final Shrewsbury faced Myerscough, who had dispatched Cheadle Hulme in their previous game in spite of the fact they only had 9 players. The Myerscough innings started briskly with the score at 56 for 2 after 9 overs, but then wickets began to tumble and they collapsed to 83 all out after 18 overs. Sam Green was the pick of the bowlers with 3-8 from 3 overs. With the weather closing in, Charlie Adams and Freddie Adair made a positive start and progressed the score to 58 before Adair went in the 10th over. Freddie Earlam joined Adams in the middle and the pair steered the home side to a comfortable 9-wicket victory.

On the following Wednesday, the 2nd XI were privileged to again welcome the XL Club to the Schools. This annual fixture is the only declaration match we play each season and is always well contested. This year the Shrewsbury side proved too strong for the visitors. After his 99 not out the previous year, ex-New Zealand player Robertson was once again the mainstay of the XL Club innings, scoring a classy 49 before being caught in the deep by Ben Quirk. Shrewsbury bowled and fielded well and the XL Club reached 132 before being dismissed in the 36th over. Shrewsbury lost openers Reiss Rashid and James Warburg cheaply, before Freddies Adair and Earlam steadied the innings. Together they took the score to 74 when Adair was judged LBW for 26. Earlam hung around till the score reached 125 when he was bowled for 59, leaving Charlie Adams and James Hulton-Harrop to wrap up a 5-wicket win.

The next match involved a short trip to Wrekin to play their 1st XI. Buoyed by a positive start to the season, the mood was optimistic, but unfortunately the performance was disappointing. Some wayward early bowling gave the Wrekin innings a quick start before the Shrewsbury bowlers asserted themselves but, despite being a tricky wicket, the Wrekin batsmen ensured the run rate never dropped below 5 runs per over. Particular credit went to the Wrekin gap student from South Africa, Ryan Klein, who blasted 102 from 88 deliveries to take the game away from Shrewsbury, although the fact that extras (32) was the second highest contributor to the Wrekin total of 228 showed that Shrewsbury should have bowled better. In contrast, the Wrekin bowlers were disciplined from the outset, strangling off the Shrewsbury response. Reiss Rashid and James Hulton- Harrop toiled, but runs were hard to come by and when their wickets were quickly followed by Freddies Earlam and Adair with the score at 33 for 4 after 13 overs, Shrewsbury heads dropped. The only real positive of the day was an entertaining, quick-fire 10th wicket partnership of 37 from 3 overs by Ingramites Nick Pearce and Rob Treasure. However, even their brave efforts were not enough to leave Shrewsbury more than 100 runs short of their target.

Next up was a long journey to Sedbergh where, for once, we were greeted with warm sunshine. On a perfect day for cricket, Shrewsbury elected to bat but the openers found life tough as the bowlers took the initiative, bowling tight lines and restricting opportunities to score. After 18 overs Shrewsbury lost the captain, Warburg, with the score at a meagre 44 for 2. This brought together the Ridgemount pair of Freddie Earlam and Freddie Adair who steered the score to a competitive 179 in the next 20 overs before Adair went for 54. Chasing his hundred, Earlam took the score to 192 for 3 after 40 overs but was himself left 96 not out at the end of the innings. Having bowled too many loose deliveries in the previous game, it was imperative that we bowled tightly early on to keep control of the game. Jonty Small led by example with 1-11 in his 5 overs but none of the other bowlers could maintain the pressure. A fine hundred from the Sedbergh opener provided a platform for a well paced run chase and Sedbergh reached their target in the 36th over for the loss of three wickets. After Exeat, a team with no fewer than eight changes (due to exam commitments) travelled to Manchester to play Manchester Grammar School. The patched-up side included, for the first time, Freddie Rowley and a season cameo from Paul Sharpe, as well as Fifth Formers Max Parsonage, Charlie Cooke, Henry Newbould and forth former Harry Adair. James Warburg won the toss and put MGS into bat under leaden skies. Wickets fell regularly and MGS never really looked like scoring a big total, eventually making 125 all out. Charlie Cooke bowled well early on with 1-8 from 6 overs, but it was Paul Sharpe who took the plaudits swooping in to clean up the tail with 3-3 from 3 overs! In response, Harry Adair anchored the chase with 49, while James Warburg and Charlie Cooke also contributed and Max parsonage was 32 not out when Shrewsbury reached their target with three wickets down.

After getting back to winning ways, Shrewsbury welcomed Bedford for an exciting new block fixture the following Saturday. On a lively Senior wicket, Shrewsbury set about restricting the visitors to a low score, and three wickets a piece from Charlie Kidson and Nick Pearce helped dismiss Bedford for 116 in 27 overs. Chasing a low total and with a strong batting line up, Shrewsbury’s over-confidence and a quite remarkable spell of bowling from the swimming pool end, which yielded 6-7, reduced Shrewsbury from 30-0 after 10 overs to 81 all out after 27 overs, with James Warburg’s 40 the only significant resistance.

In the penultimate match of the season, St Francis Xavier College was the opposition. Again there were a number of significant absentees following the end of the A2 exams, which provided opportunities for Yutaro Sato to make his first appearance and a senior bow for Third Former Lysander Adair, as well as the inclusion of first teamers George Panayi and Charlie Home. SFX batted first and posted a decent 165 all out, with 2 wickets for Yutaro Sato and 3 each for Freddie Rowley and George Panayi, bowling his rarely seen, but effective, spin. For Shrewsbury, Lysander Adair opened the batting with Henry Newbould, who was dismissed for 10. George Panayi contributed 48 and Harry Schofield an unbeaten 36, while Adair supported at the other end, finishing up with an impressive 50 not out. Shrewsbury reached the target for the loss of 3 wickets after 33 overs.

In the final game it was a pleasure the welcome back several 2nd XI players of the recent past in the Saracens team. In a game shortened to 20 overs due to threatening weather, the Saracens batted first with Harry Croft (29) and Mark Prescott (37) blazing the ball to all corners of the ground and setting an aggressive tempo. Danger men Will Mason and Steve Barnard were seen off cheaply in the middle order before a wonder catch on the covers from Captain Jonty Small eliminated the threat from big hitter Lynch-Staunton. A good partnership from Jack Bailey (37) and George Hanmer (21*) pushed the score towards 150 and a final flourish from George Thomason (11) and Alex Bird (1*) saw the Saracens post a daunting 168. Despite losing Harry Schofield early on, Max Parsonage and Charlie Kidson kept the run rate up in the face of some excellent bowling from James Aston. Growing optimism in the pavilion was dealt a blow when Jack Bailey took a terrific catch and bowled to dismiss the threatening Parsonage for 24. When Kidson was caught in the deep for 42, with the score barely on 100 in the 12th over, the game looked to have tilted in favour of the old boys’ side. However, a spirited and measured partnership of 40 between Dan Durman and James Warburg (which included the latter’s first two sixes for the School!) brought the 2nd XI within striking distance of the target. When Warburg went in the 17th over, the score was 137. James Hulton-Harrop (7*) joined Durman (31*) to take up the mantle, but against the experience and pace of Steve Barnard and James Aston, the 2nd XI fell 5 runs short in what had proved to be a thrilling chase.

In many ways it was a frustrating season, but the company and commitment of a core of players made it as enjoyable as ever. Particular recognition must go to Freddie Earlam and Freddie Adair, who were key batsmen this year. Sam Green was utterly committed to the team and deserved every one of his 17 wickets. Finally, James Warburg and Jonty Small fulfilled their responsibilities as joint captains by maintaining a good spirit and ensuring that every player who represented the team felt included and involved. Under-16A XI Report by Coach Will Hughes

Played 8 Won 4 Lost 3 Abandoned 1

This was a thoroughly enjoyable season and a great group of players to work with. We did not see much of Harry Adair or George Panayi as they were on 1st XI, duty but this gave others a chance to shine.

There were some fine individual performances with the bat from Harry Schofield, Tom Breese, Max Parsonage and James Harris. Schofield was particularly destructive at the top of the innings and got us off to some excellent starts, being particularly harsh on short bowling. Max Parsonage also played some destructive innings in the middle order and has the potential to develop into an exciting all-rounder. Tom Breese captained the side magnificently, always leading by example with bat and ball and in the field. James Harris played some key innings late in the season having struggled early on. Henry Newbold proved to be a competent wicket keeper/batsman who also has the potential for improvement in the coming two years. Matthew White played some useful innings for the team and bowled some excellent spells often when the pressure was on. Ben Sansom again bowled well landing the ball consistently in threatening areas – he was also one of the best boundary fielders in the side. Jonty Robinson had a good season and should continue to develop in the Sixth Form. Ed Moore bowled some good spells and could develop into a very useful leg- spinner if he can produce some greater consistency. Hamish Foden worked hard on his bowling action and made use of his natural height, which meant he was an awkward prospect on some pitches. Alex Goode bowled some fine restraining spells which built pressure on batsmen and meant more often than not they threw their wickets away. A key member of the side too was Anthony Koch de Gooreynd, a fine fielder, gutsy middle order batsman and a useful spin bowler. Toby Mason bowled some quality spells of off spin and was a real threat at times. Again, he could be a fine bowler in the Sixth Form if he is prepared to work hard at his cricket.

I have no doubt some of these boys will kick on to play a good level of cricket in the Sixth Form and beyond. Indeed four of the above (Adair, Panayi, Breese & Parsonage) have been selected to tour UAE & South Africa this December with the 1st XI squad. There were good wins achieved against Newcastle-under-Lyme, Ellesmere, Repton and Wrekin.

Under 15A Report by Coach Adam Shantry

Playing record: Played 20 Won 13 Lost 7

Midlands ESCA T20 Winners

National ESCA T20 Semi-Finalists

A season that began on a crisp spring morning at Millfield School in mid-April, finished on a warm summer’s afternoon in early September, with the boys contesting the ESCA T20 title at a sun- drenched Arundel Castle.

That day at Arundel was the culmination of a fantastic run in the competition, during which the team demonstrated an extraordinary will to win, no little skill, and a team spirit as strong as you can imagine whilst winning eight straight games. Winning the trophy was to prove beyond us, but tremendous credit deserves to go to everybody involved for reaching the showpiece event.

What was most pleasing, alongside the performances of the two boys attached to First Class Counties, George Hargrave and Charlie Home, was the evolution of the other players into skilful, committed and highly effective cricketers. Having started 2013 as a side almost solely reliant on a small number of players, they finished 2014 as a team full of ability. Special mention must go to Josh Malyon in this respect – having started the season on the fringes of the side, he worked extraordinarily hard to turn himself into one of our most economical bowlers, an excellent fielder and a key member of the team.

Charlie Home led the way with 795 runs at 56.7, almost 20 wickets, and captained the side with maturity rarely seen at this level. George Hargrave kept wicket superbly and scored almost 500 runs. Harry Gregson’s left arm seam took the bowling honours, with 27 wickets at 15 runs apiece, ably supported by Pat Jacob’s off-spin, and Malyon’s accurate medium pace. Pat has height, naturally turns the ball, and is learning to vary his pace subtly. With work he can continue to improve considerably. Gregson also notched several handy scores with the bat and developed well as the season went on.

We were indebted to four Third Formers during our cup run. George Garrett, Jordan Zaza, Lysander Adair and Tom Brunskill added a further touch of quality to the squad and adapted to playing up a year group without a problem. All contributed heavily to the success of the side and will benefit from their experiences this summer.

Massive strides were also made by Oliver Dixon, Dan Orchard and George Pearce. They were vocal, passionate and were the glue that held the team together. They each had their match-winning moments with bat and ball – highlighting the depth of talent in the squad – and were always the ones the team looked to for motivation in the field.

We tasted defeat on several occasions, but results were generally in line with expectations. Our fixture list was superb, and the boys will benefit from playing against opposition of varying abilities.

I must finish by saying that it has been an absolute pleasure to work with this group – I am lucky enough to have coached them for two years. They have done everything asked of them and more, and as well as being fine young cricketers, they are fine young men. Thank you, boys.

Batting Charlie Home 795 runs @ 56.7 George Hargrave 486 runs @34

Bowling Harry Gregson 27 wickets @ 15 Pat Jacob 22 wickets @ 26

Shrewsbury School Win Midlands ESCA/ECB T20 Final Report by Steve Aston (Shropshire Cricket Board Competition Organiser)

Shrewsbury School hosted this year’s County final of the ESCA/ECB Under-15 Twenty20. Wrekin College won the toss and elected to bat and after losing the wicket of Henry Davies to the third ball of the game, captain and Steve McCartney put on 132 in a record second wicket partnership. Pennington top scored with an undefeated 67 off only 52 balls, with McCartney adding excellent support with 59 off 67 deliveries. George Garrett was the pick of the Shrewsbury bowlers, taking 1 for 17 off his 4 overs.

In reply, Shrewsbury were always up with the scoring rate, thanks to an opening partnership of 55 between George Hargrave 52 n.o. off 41 balls and captain Charlie Home 24, before the latter was brilliantly caught by Marshall Meredith. Hargrave then received good support from Ollie Dixon 19 and Lysander Adair 16 n.o. to guide the hosts home to a 7 wicket victory.

The trophy and medals were presented by ex-Worcestershire seamer and Shrewsbury Cricket Coach Paul Pridgeon, who also presented the 'man of the match' shield to Dillon Pennington.

Under 15B XI Report by Coach Dr David Law

Played 1 Won 2 Drawn 0 Tied 0 Lost 3 Abandoned 0

In our first game against Wrekin on Wednesday 7th May we won by 180 runs. Shrewsbury won the toss and chose to bat. An inauspicious start when Thomason was removed by a delivery which cut in rather cruelly and then a mix-up between Bruce and Schutz led to the latter's run-out. Shrewsbury 11 for 2 and looking shaky against some erratic bowling on a still more erratic wicket. At which point enter Tom Atkin to partner Bruce for the next 50 minutes, during which time they amass a partnership of 119 with some excellent shots played over square leg for four by Bruce and some terrific shots through cover from Atkin. Wrekin dropped a few from these two, Atkin eventually falling to a catch at cow corner with no further Shrewsbury batsman reaching double figures thereafter. 221 for 8 off the 30 overs (Bruce 111 not out, luckily for him). Wrekin put to the sword for 31. Parsonage took three wickets for just 7 runs; Chaplin 2 for 9; Bedson 3 for 5. Thomason fielded well for a run out and Arkwright got the last wicket.

In our next game against Sedbergh we lost by 8 wickets. We took a much-weakened side, after various withdrawals, with four boys making their debuts, Bertie Watts being dragged out of lessons at the eleventh hour. Having won the toss and decided to bat, Schutz and Bedson went in to frustrate the opening bowlers. They did the job superbly and were both there for the first change of bowling, Bedson eventually succumbing with an ill-timed swing in the tenth over (bowled by Ed Hemmings' 'irrepressible' brother Seb). Schutz was building an excellent innings, with the boundaries beginning to be found, when he was out to a catch at mid-on that may or may not have been 'scooped'. Cope came in and took his time on the way to a duck. With Shrewsbury 29 for 2 after 11 overs and Sedbergh getting noisier, it was to the great credit of the incoming batsmen that they posted some useful scores and kept the innings afloat for the full 35 overs. Himsworth scored 13, Nicholson 12, Watts 13 (with some commanding wallops), Russell 17 and Jack Lock a nervy but invaluable 23 not out, partnered at the end by Eccleston, who finished the innings 6 not out.

Sedbergh came in to chase their low target and found it easier to smash some boundaries but lost their opener to an excellent catch from Cope at point off the bowling of Chambers but Arkwright's late lbw wasn't enough to stop Sedbergh reaching 124 in 19 overs. A praiseworthy and respectable effort in difficult cirumstances.

With a stronger team, we bounced back against an Ellesmere A/B side, winning by 34 runs. Shrewsbury batted first and openers Schutz and Atkin were slow to settle to a quick, hard wicket. Nevertheless, they put together a partnership of 46 that would prove invaluable as the middle order collapsed later. Schutz managed 34 before another soft catch to midwicket with some excellent fours using the pace off the ball; Atkin got to 18 without hitting rhythm. The mainstay of the innings was Ross Orchard whose 39 not out from number four anchored the innings and allowed us to stumble our way to 138 for 9 off the allotted 25 overs. It took 8 overs and 43 runs for Shrewsbury to dislodge the first of the Ellesmere openers, lbw to Orchard before Eccleston took his first stumping of the season from the bowling of Atkin. Orchard was consistent (13 for 3 off 5 overs) whilst the pivotal seventeenth over saw Bruce take three wickets (15 for 3 off 3 overs). A great stop by Thevasathan and some brilliant spin from Schutz plus some hard work from Chaplin and Kim saw Ellesmere all out for 104.

A defeat to Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School then followed, as did defeat in the final game of the season away at Bedford School. Having batted very poorly and set a low target, the boys bowled with spirit to get themselves back into the game, particularly with Atkin (5 for 16) and Schutz (3 for 20) bowling some devilish spin from both ends in an exciting close to the game.

Under-14A XI Report by Coach Adam Shantry

The Under 14A squad played 13 matches, winning 8, drawing 1 and losing 4. The season on the whole was a great success but they were unable to win the Shropshire U14 Cup which would have put them in the Lord’s Taverners for the 2015 season.

The team started the season well, winning seven out of their first eight matches; the only loss was to Cheshire U14s and that was with two balls to spare. Runs were flowing from the bats of Lysander Adair (av. 45.8), Jordan Zaza (av. 46.5) and Captain George Garrett (av. 61.8). Opponents’ wickets tumbled regularly, with George Garrett, a right arm fast bowler whose 17 wickets were taken at 6.5 runs each, and Tom Brunskill (slow left arm) causing many problems. After the half-term break, the team the team found it difficult to get back into their rhythm, hence the loss to Ellesmere College.

George Garrett, Lysander Adair, Jordan Zaza and Tom Brunskill played regularly for the Under-15 team in cup matches and all four more than warranted their places in the team.

Under-14B XI Report by Coach Thane Warburg

The U14Bs this year were a joy to coach. As has been the case for the past two years, the bowling and fielding were stronger than the batting but as the season progressed there were some increasingly impressive performances with the bat and I was very pleased with the squad’s enthusiastic attitude both during practice sessions and in matches where they were competitive but courteous at all times.

The record shows:

Played 9

Won 6 (Wrekin, Repton, Sedbergh, Prestfelde, Ellesmere, Bedford)

Lost 2 (Packwood, Manchester Grammar School)

Abandoned 1 (Old Swinford Hospital)

Convincing wins against Repton, Sedbergh and Bedford School were the highlights of the season because the opposition were good and we had to play well. As last year, we were outclassed by MGS’ U13A team who had a good number of Lancashire players in their side – I think we might have sneaked a win against Packwood had we played them a little later in the season but it is always good to play them because they are so competitive and well organised.

Wrekin 42 all out Shrewsbury 43 for 0 – Weekes 20 not out, Shawe-Taylor 7 not out Shrewsbury won by 10 wickets

Shrewsbury 76 for 7 (20 overs) – Moore 26 not out, Greetham 18 Packwood 78 for 7 (17 overs) – Whitworth 2 for 16, Ainslie 2 for 17

Repton 103 for 6 (30 overs) – Hodges 2 for 14, Sykes 2 for 8; Shrewsbury 104 for 7 (23 overs) – Ford 50 Shrewsbury won by 3 wickets

Shrewsbury 105 for 8 (20 overs) – Greetham 20, Shawe-Taylor 15 not out Old Swinford Hospital – did not bat – rain Match abandoned

Shrewsbury 209 for 2 (30 overs) – Schofield 130 not out, Weekes 30 not out; Sedbergh 100 all out – Wasdell 3 for 2, Sykes 2 for 11 Shrewsbury won by 109 runs

Shrewsbury 211 for 7 – Chaplin 28, Ainslie 53 (retired), Ingram 49 not out Prestfelde 85 all out – Greetham 2 for 11, Ingram 2 for 12

Shrewsbury 114 for 9 – Bromley-Davenport 42, Ford 26 Manchester Grammar School 117 for 2 MGS won by 8 wickets

Shrewsbury 162 for 1 – Sykes 49, Argyle 50 (retired), Shawe-Taylor 36 not out Ellesmere 84 all out – Humphreys 3 for 10, Greetham 3 for 18 Shrewsbury won by 78 runs

Shrewsbury 166 for 5 – Shawe-Taylor 39, Weekes 67, Moore 15 not out Bedford School 126 all out – Sykes 3 for 30, Humphreys 2 for 21, Ainslie 2 for 10 Shrewsbury won by 40 runs The side was ably led by Henry Weekes who grew into the role as the weeks passed by. An able batsman, particularly when hitting with the ‘V’, he also bowled some tidy offspin. His major innings came against Wrekin (20 not out) and more crucially Bedford (67).

One of the major strengths of the side was its bowling attack. There was not as much variety as I might have liked, but in Jack Humphreys (LA Fast Medium), Ollie Hodges (RA Fast Medium), Ollie Sykes (RA Fast Medium), Dom Ainslie (RA Medium) and Jonah Greetham (Offspin), we had as good a bowling attack as almost all of our opposition. Cameo performances from the likes of Tom Bromley-Davenport (RA Fast Medium), Henry Graham (RA Medium), Angus Moore (Legspin), Robert Ford (RA Fast Medium), Harry Wasdell (RA Fast Medium), Magnus Chaplin (RA Medium) and Lucien Whitworth (RA Fast Medium) also helped our cause.

Our opening attack of Jack Humphreys and Ollie Hodges was a good one – both had plenty of pace and Jack’s left arm over complemented Ollie’s right arm over nicely. Jack was unlucky not to take more wickets – what he did do was bowl very tightly and contain opposing batsmen and this was invaluable to the side. Ollie has genuine pace and if he can learn to bowl a good line and length more consistently, he will be extremely challenging for batsmen next season. One of the finds of the season was Jonah Greetham, who turned himself into a fine off-spinner when we realised how short of spinners we were. His use of flight and spin caused havoc in many of the opposition. Dom Ainslie was our most accurate bowler, his medium pace cutters proving very hard to get away. Ollie Sykes improved hugely as the season progressed – he bowls fast and without compromise and will be a real handful next season. Henry Graham bowled very effective medium pace, usually on a fine line and length and he could well take more wickets next season. Before he was promoted to the As, Harry Wasdell bowled fine right arm medium fast – he has a nice action and bowled good and straight. Rob Ford made the occasional cameo performance for us and was always very good value with both ball and bat – although with the latter, a bit of patience would be greatly to his benefit. Magnus Chaplin was a regular in the side and usually bowled well, although consistency was not always his forte. His batting was cavalier and he contributed some important runs. Sam Bayliss was our wicket-keeper and a great stalwart of the side – absolutely reliable, a great team man; his keeping improved steadily as the season progressed and it was good to see him score a few runs towards the end of the season. Lucien Whitworth made an appearance for us against Packwood and he bowled beautifully – nagging line and length, plenty of control and variety – no wonder he was in the As! Freddie Blanchard-Butter, Marcus Clark, Seb Ingram and Zak Nicholas all played at least one match and I thank them for their contributions.

On the batting front, before he was quite rightly promoted to the U14As, one name stands out - David Schofield. Few batsmen I have coached have ever hit the ball as crisply or as hard. His 130 not out vs Sedbergh was a fantastic knock. If he learns to move his feet properly, his prospects are rosy indeed. Henry Weekes seemed to lack a little confidence at times – but he has huge potential as a batsman. Jonah Greetham batted well for us in several of the matches always keen to stay at the crease for as long as possible. Henry Graham’s batting was technically as correct as anybody’s but he will have to look to score a little faster. Will Shawe-Taylor came into his own towards the end of the season when he began to open the innings. His backfoot play, particularly on the offside, was as good as anybody’s and he has a good temperament and plenty of flair. James Argyle also fought his way into the side latterly and, like Will, he has an excellent temperament and a good range of shots – he has real potential. Angus Moore batted for us a couple of times and made valuable contributions on each occasion – a versatile player because he bats, bowls and keeps. Dom Ainslie could be a very effective batsman indeed but suffered from a lack of self-confidence. I very much hope that his 53 not out (retired) vs Prestfelde will help him become more positive.

21 Salopians represented the side in at least one match. They were: David Schofield, Henry Weekes, Jonah Greetham, Will Shawe-Taylor, Tom Bromley-Davenport, Henry Graham, Angus Moore, Robert Ford, Dom Ainslie, Harry Wasdell, Ollie Hodges, Magnus Chaplin, Jack Humphreys, Ollie Sykes, Lucien Whitworth, Sam Bayliss, James Argyle, Freddie Blanchard-Butter, Marcus Clark, Seb Ingram and Zak Nicholas. I would like to thank the boys for their unfailing enthusiasm and hard work throughout the season. I would also like to thank Paul Andrews and Lawrence Evans who helped share the coaching and umpiring duties. I’m already looking forward to next season and seeing how this fine team develops as they move into the U15 age group.