Published on: Thursday, April 28, 2022
This renewal of the agreement between the organisations will see the partnership take on a new and fresh direction which will be of greater benefit to both parties, whilst also maintaining the strong link between the Club and the schools. Included in the new partnership is the sponsorship of First XI players James Hildreth and Tom Banton, and SCCC players and staff will work with King‘s boys and girls on both a coaching and leadership level.
Director of Sport, Phil Lewis said: “We already have incredibly close links with SCCC, with a number of our pupils playing county age group standard and going on to play professionally. However, to have a corporate agreement that allows cross coaching, CPD and for our pupils to have sessions with the likes of Somerset bowling coach Steve Kirby, have been invaluable.
He added: “We are also hoping to work closely with the media intern to help us further our excellent live cricket match streaming and highlights product, as well as ensuring our players have excellent analysis tools for their own games.”
Both King’s and Somerset County Cricket Club have a long tradition of sporting excellence on the field and have played a vital role in the development of young sportsmen and women in Somerset for over 100 years.
The Centre of Cricketing Excellence at King’s College has produced a number of Somerset players including Jos Buttler, Alex Barrow, Craig Meschede and James Regan. Current First XI players Eddie Byrom, Tom Banton and Nathan Gilchrist are also former pupils.
Justin Chippendale, Headmaster at King’s Hall School said: “We are thrilled to be continuing our strong relationship with SCCC, and keen to make even better use and create even closer ties surrounding the younger age groups. There is such a strong cricket tradition within our school and we are all looking forward to both girls and boys enjoying the season ahead.”
Somerset CCC Strategy Director, Sarah Trunks said: “We have been working successfully with King’s for a number of years and we both have an important role to play when it comes to young people in the region achieving their sporting dreams. We are delighted to build on what has already been a very successful relationship.”
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 four bowling machines, perfect for our winter training schedule.
The King’s Cricket Centre boasts three lanes, long run ups and a state-of-the-art training facility for our cricketers. The School runs an Elite Player Programme which is designed for cricketers of any age who are aiming to gain professional contracts, and works with pupils who simply love the game and wish to acquire the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to progress at club level, university or representative cricket when they leave the school.