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Issues from 1998
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Fantastic experiences and memories

Fourteen boys from Years 10 and 11 enjoyed great cricketing and touring experiences in England and France.

WORDS: AMRITH ELDRIDGE – YEAR 10

On 20 June, 14 boys from Years 10 and 11 embarked on a three-week cricket tour of England. Accompanied by Mr Murphy, and Mr Banks and his wife Sandra, we played at some amazing schools, enjoyed the sights of England, and were lucky enough to end the trip with a few days in France.

Arriving in England on a Sunday morning, we had a little time to acclimatise and shake off jetlag before we launched into five straight days of cricket. Fantastic weather and conditions helped us get into cricketing mode, as we started off with a narrow loss to Dulwich College. We bounced back with a good win playing against the Royal Household in the grounds of Windsor Castle, after a private tour of the amazing castle itself.

From there we played a further nine games at schools including Wellington College, Magdalen College in Oxford, Trent College in Nottingham and King Edward’s School in Birmingham. One of the highlights was playing the prestigious Eton College, where Mr Batty was previously a housemaster. Playing for the ‘Tom Batty Shield’, the man himself watched on as we chased down 250 runs to claim the shield for the second time running. This included an innings-defining 104 not out from captain Conor O’Beirne, despite batting most of his innings with a suspected broken toe. We finished up our cricket winning six out of eleven games.

Sam Starkins was the stand-out performer with the bat, making just over 300 runs, including a typically rapid 95. Amrith Eldridge contributed consistently with the bat, scoring 233 runs. Levi King batted well, scoring three half centuries, and Harry Phillip played some well-crafted innings, including a 70. John McLaughlan showed once again that he is not just a batter by leading the bowlers, taking 12 wickets with his off-spinners. Tom Kerr provided some good swing and seam, taking 10 wickets. James Rosewarne and Rupert Wills also put in, with good all round performances.

In between games the boys enjoyed visiting historic sights such as Windsor Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. Two nights in London gave us the opportunity to see famous attractions, such as Oxford Street, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and the home of cricket, Lords. One evening in London, we were privileged enough to attend an Old Scotch family dinner, attended by old boys, families and the Principal. We enjoyed conversing and sharing stories and memories with the Old Scotch boys.

Our trip concluded with a three-night stay in Paris. We relished the free time to absorb the surroundings of Paris (in surprisingly hot weather), including the Louvre, L’Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower. Our stay in Paris also included an eye-opening trip to the Villers-Bretonneux war memorial, a famous battleground from World War I, where many Old Scotch boys were among those commemorated.

The tour gave all the boys fantastic experiences and memories to last a lifetime. We benefited greatly from the practice gained playing cricket in the more difficult English conditions, which will no doubt hold us in good stead for the upcoming season. Our thanks to Mr Murphy, Mr Banks and Sandra for their hard work and efforts that made the tour so enjoyable for all of us. GS

Updated: Monday 24 June 2013