Cricket

Millfield is one of the finest cricketing schools in the UK, known not only for our exceptional achievements but also for our ability to cater for students of all abilities. Seventeen teams are in active competition against schools across the region (13 boys and 4 girls). The U14 and U15As and Meyers XI fixture lists are largely made up of fixtures against counties, county academies and university teams.

The thriving girls’ programme has two squads (U15s and Senior) which includes numerous county fixtures and matches against Somerset, Wales, universities and MCC Ladies’ teams.

We have a highly qualified coaching team led by Mark Garaway (ECB Level IV Tutor/Assessor), the former England Assistant Coach and Performance Director of Irish Cricket.

Millfield students enjoy top class cricket facilities; there are numerous cricket squares, two indoor net areas and a combination of outdoor grass and all weather nets. The campus has several cricket pavilions including the stunning Wilson Pavilion. Our facilities incorporate cutting edge technology such as the permanent match analysis system on the Main Field, Merlyn bowling machines, Pitchvision Net System, Zepp Power Hitting sensors, SAQ Aerofloor for Fast bowlers as well as Stalker II Radar guns for registering ball velocities in our bowling, hitting and throwing programmes.

Millfield is delighted to have recently launched state of the art indoor Golf and Cricket Centres on campus, with both sites now in full operation. The new £2.6m Centres invested in world-leading technology, including through motion tracking and simulation software, placing Millfield at the forefront of school and university facilities for both sports. For Millfield Cricket, the new facility enables the sport to practise all the year round, at all times of day, to increase the already 370 strong programme (including 80 girls). The Centre features new PitchVision technology on three lanes, a state of the art 4G fielding area, three adaptable bowling and batting surfaces, as well as five nets and an expansive 22 metre run-up, as has already been used by professionals from Gloucestershire County Cricket Club.

We embark on a major overseas tour once every two years. Our most recent tour took 45 cricketers (2 boys’ squads and 1 girls’ squad) to Mumbai for a 15 match programme.

The twelve month Performance Programme integrates specialist technical, tactical and lifestyle coaching with sports science input from the Millfield Institute of Sport and Wellbeing team. The programme is individually tailored to optimise the performance of each player. There are presently 53 boys and girls who are county age group, county academy, regional and international cricketers on the programme.

It is not all about high performance, though, with over 350 boys and girls involved in cricket. There are Open and “Cricket Club sessions” run for cricketers of all ages and abilities throughout the week, and every pupil has the opportunity to be coached by our ECB Level III and Level IV coaches.

Cricketers at the school compete in a number of tournaments for different age groups, including the U14 County Cup, Lady Taverners Indoor and Outdoor tournaments, the National Schools T20 competition, National U17 Cup and both the Lord’s Taverners and T20 U15 competitions.

Millfield has performed consistently well over the years. In 2016 we became the first school ever to win three National titles in one season. Below are examples of some of our students' more recent achievements.

2018 – Winner of the U15 Girls National T20 Competition
2018 - Winners of the National Schools U18 T20 Competition
2018 - Winners of the U17 The Cricket Paper School Sport Cup
2016 - Winners of the U17 School Sport Cup
2016 - Winners of the National Schools U18 T20 Competition
2016 - Winners of the National Schools U15 T20 Competition
2015 - Winners of the U15 T20 National Cup    
2014 - Runners Up of the U18 National Schools T20 Competition
2013 - Winners of the U15 National Lord's Taverners Competition
2012 - Winners of the National Schools U18 T20 Competition

Sam Young, Kasey Aldridge and Lewis Goldsworthy (all Somerset) signed professional contracts straight after leaving Millfield in 2019. The trio also starred for England U19’s in the recent ICC U19 World Cup in South Africa. Sam, Kasey and Lewis join graduates Tom Lace (Middlesex CCC), George Hankins (Gloucestershire), George Bartlett, James Hildreth, Max Waller (Somerset), Daniel Bell Drummond (Kent), Adam Wheater (Essex) and Tom Moores (Nottinghamshire) in the Professional Ranks ahead of the coming 2020 County Season. We have a number of current girls and boys who have been selected for County Academy and Emerging Player Programme programmes in 2019/20.  

Millfield Cricket Centre hosts 1st Class Counties practices (Gloucestershire CCC and Somerset CCC), ECB Coach Education courses at Stage One and Level III and we also train our own students to assist with Lord Taverners “Super 1’s” Disability Cricket sessions and to coach within the local state schools and clubs. We hosted International Cricket for the first time in 2019 with England Women’s Test and ODI team taking on Australia A team and Ireland Women in a triangular Series. Millfield hosted the 32^nd ECB David English Bunbury U15’s Cricket Festival in 2018. This is widely regarded as the best ever Bunbury festival.