Cricket
Cricket at King's has always been at the forefront of the school's culture and traditions. It currently has the status of being A Centre of Cricketing Excellence. This has been more than reflected in the last three seasons of cricket, in which the 1st XI have lost only four school fixtures and have gained the prestigious award of Wisden Cricket School of the Year in 2009, an achievement we almost emulated in both the 2010 and 2011 seasons!
A lot of our success can not only be attributed to the excellent facilities and coaching staff throughout the school, but also the amazing wealth of talent that we have seen over the last few years. Jos Buttler, now a full England international, shot into the limelight last year in his first full season as a county professional with Somerset. To add to this, following the success of the 1st XI season in 2010, Alex Barrow and Craig Meschede also gained full county professional contracts with Somerset. On Wednesday 18th May 2011, all three played for Somerset in the County Championship against Sussex, a very proud moment for King's College - click here to watch TV highlights of Day 1.
However, it is not just at the top end of the school that we are producing top players. Throughout the school there are numerous other county players representing their age groups, all of whom are hoping to follow in the same footsteps as Buttler, Barrow and Meschede. There is also a long list of former pupils who have also played first-class cricket in the past, including Roger Twose (ex-New Zealand Test and ODI cricketer), Richard Harden, Nick Boulton (Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year 1998), Tom Webley and Phil Lewis.
Phil Lewis is currently the Director of Cricket at King's, and is in charge of coaching the 1st XI. Head groundsman and cricket professional Dennis Breakwell, a Somerset cricket legend, is not only an integral part of the coaching set-up but is also said to produce the best school cricket pitches in the country. Robert Woodman, an ex-Somerset and Gloucestershire cricket professional, has also recently joined the coaching set-up, and is currently in charge of developing our youth teams at both King's and King's Hall prep school.
The school has also been awarded the status of being one of the first MCC Foundation Hubs, an initiative which will allow local young cricketers access to the brilliant coaching and facilities that King's can provide. It has been a huge success so far and continues to emphasise the growing reputation of cricket at King's.
King's boasts an amazing campus of pitches where six games can be going on at any one time, all against the backdrop of the main school buildings. The school has a number of artificial outdoor nets next to each of the pitches, and we also have an excellent indoor net training facility, including two bowling machines, perfect for our winter training schedule. King's is also highly regarded within ECB development, thanks to the hundreds of cricketers who come down to represent their counties in the King's College summer cricket festivals.
Click the icon below to view live updates of the latest 1st XI fixture.
QUICK LINKS
- I love my time at King's and find it a fantastic school to be part of. Meiling
- Personally I think King's has some of the nicest people. Annie
- King's is an amazing place to be and what makes it special is it feels just like home. Louise
- I can tell I'm going to like it here! Amelia
- The sport at King's is very good and at a high standard. Meiling
- When I was at my prep school I always thought of King's as a school where there were more opportunities and I was completely right. Jamie
- I can already see that this is probably going to be the best few years of my life so far. I have enjoyed every moment of every lesson. Toby
- There's just so much food, it’s like a feast … every meal time! Annabelle
- King’s is a great school and I am so glad that I came here. I can tell that it was the best decision for me. Louise
- Ever since I got here, everyone has been so friendly and welcoming; it has been so easy to settle in. Toby
- First impressions are exciting and impressive. Alicia
- The hockey is very sociable and a good way to get to know your friends. Annie
- I like this school more and more every day. The teachers are good and make lessons fun. Henry
- One of my first impressions of King's was the atmosphere. Everyone seemed happy and was enjoying themselves. George
- What really impressed me was the size of the campus and vast expanding playing fields. Alicia
- The teachers are very enthusiastic and will inspire you. Nancy
- The staff are kind, the subjects are interesting, the facilities are good and I can safely say when I am grown up, I will think back happily of my memories at King's. David
- My house is very warm and lovely, everyone in there is like a family. I like getting to know the older pupils and having that bond with them as well as my own year. Meiling
- As soon as I walked into the main hall on my tour I knew King's Taunton was the school for me. Joe
- The atmosphere is just wonderful for learning. Hendrik
- I love it. And I've made loads of new friends. I can't believe the first four weeks have already gone. Leo
- It's amazing. The teachers are brilliant, they are so friendly and enthusiastic. I just want to learn here. Leo