Two weeks ago (click to see) I was in two minds about how the 2021 schools cricket season would turn out: either the best for decades or the worst-ever, ruined by Teacher Assessed Grades allied to caution about Covid. I was then inclined towards the latter as I have recently been inundated with a vast number of requests for fixtures, all because of cancellations.
With numbers of serious Covid cases still happily plummeting, schools seem to be not quite as over-cautious as I feared: with glorious cricketing weather over the weekend there was a pretty full programme of fixtures in most regions (though sadly not all). Many schools had a busy pre-season series of fixtures too. The one caution is the near-demise of the all-day game because of catering problems in the current situation. Let us hope that is only temporary, as otherwise the chances of the second rank of batsmen (eg 5 – 8) will have a very thin time of it and all bowlers would be mildly frustrated to have only, say, eight overs in a match rather than 10, already a pretty small number.
Even many MCC games have been 40 overs. Here there is a potential problem. One normally relies upon MCC to set a reasonable declaration (maybe even consulting the school’s coach), but in an overs game they don’t declare. This led on Saturday to one team of schoolboys against men being asked to score 258 in 40 overs, thus killing the game. It is perfectly possible to play a declaration game in a shortened match; it doesn’t have to be overs!
Sunday also saw the first round of the National School Twenty20 competition. Some schools, especially in the North East decided not to take part because of Covid but the vast majority did. So instead of the normal 145 or so teams, it was slightly reduced, but only to 130.
Several centuries have already been scored, albeit in rather better batting conditions than usual in mid-April. Jordan Reiffer (son of the late Elvis, of Hants CCC and brother of Raymon) following in Shay Hope’s footsteps from Barbados to Bede’s, made a remarkable 150 in a 30-over game as part of the Cricket Paper’s Under-17 competition.
Proportonately even more impressive was a rare T20 century by Tonbridge’s Sam Hadfield. His 112 not out included six sixes and eight fours.
Results:
Bede’s 275-4 (30 overs) (J Reiffer 150), *Simon Langton 70 (Cricket paper U17 cup)
*Tonbridge 118-6 (20 overs), Haileybury 116-3
*Clifton 271-6 (40 overs) (B Kellaway 107 not out), SGS (Filton) 191-9
*Clifton 299-5 (30 overs) (J Phillips 110), Queen’s, Taunton 77
Warwickshire CCC Academy U19 219-8 (50 overs), *Shrewsbury 220-7
Worcestershire CCC U19 Academy 219-8 (50 overs), *Shrewsbury 87 (B Parker 5-24)
Worcestershire CCC U19 Academy 173-3 (50 overs), *Shrewsbury 90-8
*Shrewsbury 262-6 (50 overs)(J Home 106), Warwickshire CCC Academy U19 186 (H Cooke 6-34)
MCC 138 (40 overs), *Shrewsbury 102
MCC 190-9 (45 overs), *Hampton 191-6
A Cambridge University XI 216-9 (40 overs), *Framlingham (boys) 209-9
Cambridge University 83 (20 overs), *Framlingham (girls) 84-7
Cambridge University 215-3 (20 overs), *Framlingham (girls) 138-2
Bedford 216 (40 overs), *Framlingham (boys) 132
St Joseph’s 71-5 (20 overs), *Framlingham (girls) 72-6
*Framlingham (girls) 91, St Joseph’s 92-7
Stowe 157, *Framlingham (boys) 135
MCC 261-9 (40 overs), *Malvern 242
*King’s, Chester 237 (40 overs), XL Club 211-5
MCC 198-8 (40 overs), *Rossall 182-8
*Shrewsbury 259-3 (35 overs)(H Cooke 100), Newcastle-under-Lyme 74
MCC 224-5 dec, *Felsted 180
*Cathedral School Llandaff 192-3 (30 overs), Bristol GS 191-4
*Shrewsbury 199-8 (40 overs), Free Foresters 107
Buckinghamshire Boys EPP 103 (20 overs), *Stowe 104-1
Worksop 201-8 (35 overs), *Denstone 202-4
MCC 265-6 (40 overs), *Millfield 267-3
Clifton 93 (50 overs), *Millfield 94-3
*Repton 164 (40 overs), Malvern 166-7
*Stowe 324-3 (45 overs) (J Cronie 131), Bloxham 12*Birkenhead 1st XI 225-8 *Birkenhead 225-8 (40 overs)(L Hindmarch 6-34), Newcastle-under-Lyme 183-7
*Newcastle-under-Lyme 173-2 (20 overs), Queen Mary’s GS, WalsalI 153-8
*Wellington (Berks) 229-7 (45 overs), Free Foresters 210-5
*Harrow 195 (45 overs), Wellington (Berks) 97
*Oakham 147 (R Kundago 7-45), Stamford 150-4
MCC 258-4 (40 overs)(H Fisher 107), *Bryanston 174-7
Herefordshire CCC U19’s 147-6 (20 overs), *Shrewsbury 103-8
*Shrewsbury 93-9 (20 overs), Shropshire CCC U19’s 96-1
Trinity 157, RGS Guildford 159-6
St Edward’s 240-8, Rugby 116
Hampton 292-6 (50 overs), *Merchant Taylors’, Northwood 170
St Benedict’s (Ealing) 207-6 (20 overs), John Hampden GS 174-4
*Repton 164 (40 overs), Malvern 166-7
Bedford 220-7 (45 overs), *Haileybury 221-5
*Bradfield 209-7 (50 overs), Winchester 210-5
Eton 245-6 dec, *St Pauls 168 (K Patel 117)
*Eton 262-2 dec (J Weir 128 not out, C Whipple 102 not out), I Zingari 119
*Eton 271-4 (55 overs) (J Weir 106), Radley 165
Dauntsey’s 162-7 (25 overs), *Clayesmore 150-5
National T20 Results
North East group 1
Wednesday April 28th
North East group 2
Wednesday May 5th
North West group 1
Wednesday April 28th
North West group 2
Wednesday April 28th
North West group 3
Wednesday April 28th
North West group 4
Wednesday May 5th
North West group 5
Wednesday May 5th
East group 1
Awaiting results
East group 2
Awaiting results
East group 3
Three teams withdrew
Rugby win the group by default
East group 4
Awaiting results
East group 5
As arranged individually
East group 6
*Ipswich 168-6, Royal Hospital 135-7
Framlingham 110, St Joseph’s 111-7
*Ipswich 132-6, St Joseph’s 120-7
Ipswich win the group
West Midlands and Wales group 1
Awaiting results
West Midlands and Wales group 2
Awaiting results
West Midlands and Wales group 3
Awaiting results
West Midlands and Wales group 4
Awaiting results
West Midlands and Wales group 5
Awaiting results
South East group 1
Simon Langton 144-6, Hurstpierpoint 145-3
Bede’s 146-5, St Lawrence 135-7
Hurstpierpoint 144-7, Bede’s 145-3
Bede’s win the group
South East group 2
*Eastbourne 192-8, Seaford 98
*Eastbourne 233-1 (Hinley 136 not out), Sevenoaks 96-9
Eastbourne win the group
South East group 3
*Tonbridge 202-1 (S Hadfield 112 not out), Skinners’ 112-8)
Skinners’ 161-5, King’s Rochester 95
King’s Rochester 110-5, *Tonbridge 111-1
Tonbridge win the group
North London group 1
Awaiting results
North London group 2
Haileybury 204-3, Dame Alice Owen’s 110
*Haberdashers’ Aske’s 156-5, Haileybury 159-7
Haileybury win the group
South London group 1
*Hampton 197-5 (T Tanmay 106), Tiffin 119
Others as arranged individually
South London group 2
Awaiting results
South London group 3
Wilson’s 128-8, *Whitgift 112
Trinity Croydon 126-6, Wilson’s 83
Trinity Croydon 87-7, *Whitgift 89-3
Trinity Croydon win the group
South London group 4
Awaiting results
South Central group 1
Sunday May 2nd
South Central group 2
RGS High Wycombe 95, Shiplake 97-0
Radley B 201-7), RGS High Wycombe 134-8
*Radley A 203-5, Shiplake 104-9
Radley win the group
South Central group 3
Abingdon 138-3, Dauntseys 84-7.
*St Edward’s School, Oxford 182-6, Reading Blue Coat 102-10
Reading Blue Coat 165-4, Dauntseys 168-4.
Abingdon 114 for 6, *St Edward’s 118-4
St Edward’s win the group
South Central group 4
*Oratory 150–5, Lord Wandsworth 151-7
Lord Wandsworth 95, Winchester 96-4
*Oratory 168-7, Winchester 169-0
Winchester win the group
South West Tier 1
As arranged individually
South West Tier 2 group 1
As arranged individually
South West Tier 2 group 2
As arranged individually
South West Tier 2 group 3
As arranged individually
South West Tier 2 group 4
As arranged individually