Millfield School appoints new Head of Cricket

Millfield School has announced the appointment of international cricket coach Lauren Rowles as their new Head of Cricket.

Lauren brings extensive experience across professional, international and school cricket to the role. She currently serves as Women’s National Selector for Cricket Ireland and Head Coach of the England Men’s Learning Disability Cricket team, alongside her work developing female cricketers through school and county pathways. She will take up the role from Monday 9 November, succeeding Mark Garaway.

Lauren brings with her vast experience developing players and coaches at all levels. She has worked extensively within women’s and girls’ cricket, including roles with professional team Central Sparks, Gloucestershire CCC, Warwickshire CCC and the Staffordshire Cricket Board.

In her current role with Cricket Ireland, Lauren is responsible for identifying, evaluating and selecting players for Ireland’s women’s national teams. She works closely with national coaches and high-performance staff to monitor player development and build squads capable of succeeding at international level.

Lauren has also been Head Coach of the England Men’s Learning Disability Cricket team since 2022. She leads international tours, training camps and individual development programmes, while working alongside a multidisciplinary team to create an environment that supports both player and coach development.

In February 2025, she was appointed the Women’s Head Coach of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club; at the time she was the youngest head coach ever appointed to a head coach role in the County system, aged 32.

Alongside her performance coaching roles, Lauren has significant experience in education. She has coached at Shrewsbury School and King’s Worcester, while also leading sessions for the girls’ A teams at Bristol Collegiate School and supporting the development of female cricketers throughout the school.

Lauren Rowles said: “I’m incredibly proud to be joining Millfield as Head of Cricket. It’s a school with a rich sporting tradition, and I’m excited to help shape an environment where every player can thrive, enjoy their cricket and push their potential. I’m really looking forward to getting to know the students, staff and wider community, and to playing my part in continuing Millfield’s reputation of excellence both on and off the field.”

Millfield’s Director of Sport, Irena Dzisiewska, said: “Following a rigorous selection process, Lauren stood out as the outstanding candidate. She has a real gift for making every young player feel they belong, and we are thrilled to have her helping us keep pushing Millfield cricket forward.”

Current Millfield Director of Cricket, Mark Garaway, said: “Handing over the baton to Lauren gives me enormous confidence and excitement for the future. Lauren combines world-class expertise in women's and girls' cricket with proven leadership in International Men's disability cricket and an exceptional ability to develop people. Having worked with Lauren for many years as a coach developer, tutor, and CPD co-presenter, I know first-hand the quality she brings. Lauren is not simply a worthy successor; she is the ideal person to shape the next stage of Millfield Cricket's proud and illustrious history.”

Millfield Cricket has a proud history of producing players who have gone on to represent their countries and play at the highest levels of the sport. A remarkable 14 former Millfield cricketers featured in the 2026 County Championship season, an elite talent pipeline that few schools can match. Headlined by England U19 World Cup standout Caleb Falconer, alongside Archie Vaughan and Jess Hazell, who have both secured new professional deals with Somerset, their production line is rapidly becoming one of the most influential forces in English cricket.