How much cricket do boys actually play at full boarding school?

[HampsteadAcademic]

We’re getting our eldest son ready to start at a traditional full boarding school (Year 9), and as a family, we have no prior experience of boarding. Now that the summer term has started, I’d be really interested to hear how others have found the cricket balance in practice at these types of schools—particularly where boys don’t have regular access to club cricket.

I hadn’t focused on it too much before, but looking at the fixture list, it seems there are relatively few formal matches in the first year (~8–10, depending on the team), with some inter-house cricket alongside that.

As a reference point, last year in Year 7, my son played 8 school matches plus another 19 for his club—and he wasn’t by any means the most active club cricketer.

For those with experience of boarding school sport:

• Does it end up feeling like enough match play across the term?
• Do boys tend to create extra opportunities themselves (nets, informal games, etc.)?
• And is it realistic to keep some level of club cricket or external coaching going alongside school?

Just trying to get a feel for how it works day to day—would really appreciate any experiences.

8 to 10 sounds about right given the length of the term. That is roughly one mach per week. I would expect that schools with bigger cricket programmes will have many more matches than this for their top teams once cup matches are factored in.

There should be lots of other opportunities to have nets, or play cricket informally around the school.

Also, playing at exeats, half term and in July and August for local clubs would boost the number of matches significantly. Depending on how strict the school is about signing kids out, they could play during the school term too.

In short, there should be plenty of cricket matchplay for a pupil that wants it.

Generally two matches a week plus coaching during midweek games sessions and lots of informal practice during free time, bowling at one another in the House gardens. DS1 is in the 1sr XI so also has pre-season training, individual early morning coaching and access to nets through the winter. He plays club cricket through summer holidays. He doesn't play for County as home and school are some distance apart- some schoolmates do, though. DS was never higher than Bs at prep and was C team in Y9. He is an academic rather than sports scholar and we aren't team- sporty parents. He has been developerd as a specialist bowler through a combination of coaching and self-motivated practice.
So I'd say there aren't many limitations on cricket opportunities, except that there are lots of other calls on their time that might engage elsewhere. DS2 enjoyed the team elements less and took up a minor sport to play competitively instead. But he still mucks around playing cricket in his spare time and with his brother at home. Both are fine.

The challenge is the length of the summer term.

My DS is still in Year 7 but is a full boarder at his prep school and has been since Year 4. He gets to play two matches every week with school, but the second of those matches falls away almost 50% of weeks when you discount the two exeats, the two weekends taken up by half term, and the last weekend which is speech day. That said, he has cricket training four days a week, and has signed up for three nets sessions each week.

However, we share your underlying concern, which is why DS and most of the other keen cricketers who are boarders also play for a local club which means me driving through every Friday evening to drive a bunch of them to training, but this does give them the chance to play up to two additional matches per week (U12 and U13) in addition to school matches, if we can find someone to drive them. DS is also a member of a second CC close to home that he switches to once the summer holiday begins.

I don't envisage this changing when he gets to senior school. Why so many people imagine that parents of boarders drop them off and don't see them again until the holidays I can't imagine. Come September I will switch to driving across the country and back every week to get them all to extra training at the local hockey club. 🙄

Generally unless in first team the school standard sports kit is all that’s required. In terms of actual cricket gear in terms of bats etc the kids that are cricket scholars have all the gear. Kids that are in lower teams the school provides but they just wear the standard school kit. It is best to check with the school shop, if you have one - they were brilliant when we had to kit out our dc - what they really needed and how many etc. for example my DC is a scholar for a specific sport and doesn’t do any other sport other than representing their house etc. and then it’s standard kit with house T-shirt. Also cricket won’t start until the summer for them unless a cricket scholar / first team / a team thus you could hold off until Easter to get what they need. This is the same for all sports is what I would say. Hope this helps.

• Does it end up feeling like enough match play across the term?

Yes, they play the other major schools and the highest teams also play clubs. The lowest teams have at least 1 external match a week. There are house matches and internal matches too.

• Do boys tend to create extra opportunities themselves (nets, informal games, etc.)?

Winter nets and training opportunities every day on top of the 4 formal training sessions offered by the school which hires professional external coaches ( some of the best names in the business) for their 20 cricket teams. Specfic training for bowlers and wicket keeping seesions on a fifth day of training. Nets and grounds are opened every day of the week so the boys make the most of this. Exchange students from the Caribbean or South Africa visit every summer to play cricket too.

• And is it realistic to keep some level of club cricket or external coaching going alongside school?

Yes, some boys train all year round, especially the ones aiming to play for England. House Masters are flexible on this. Boys also go on cricket tours to India, South Africa, Sri Lanka etc during the winter. All club and county players still play for their clubs. It is expected and understood. This school is one of the big cricketing schools.