RGS Schools’ Cricket Festival 2021
Despite the restrictions of Covid-19, it was fantastic that the RGS Schools’ Cricket Festival was able to be in July, with RGS Newcastle playing host to this week-long annual Cricket event between six Royal Grammar Schools.
The tournament ran in its usual ‘round-robin’ fashion, where all of the six participating schools played each other. Unfortunately, two of these days were washed out due to bad weather and so our 1st XI played their first game on the Wednesday and achieved a four-wicket victory over RGS Colchester. With the travelling squad containing a mixture of pupils from Upper Sixth to Year Nine, debuts were offered to three of our talented Middle School cricketers: Year Nine pupil Tom Odell and Year Ten pupils Callum Butler and Tom McMillan. RGS Colchester posted 189 all out with wickets for Will Godwin (3), Ben Sutton (2) and Ben Whitton (2) in a positive fielding display. This total was comfortably chased down thanks primarily to an excellent partnership of 147 between Jude Rees who made 41 and Ben Sutton who scored a blistering 75.
The following day featured an enthralling and exciting match, ultimately resulting in a one wicket win over RGS High Wycombe. Our opponents mustered 196 all out and with our reply standing at 77 for 7, all looked lost. However, a superb response from Jude Rees and Olly Meredith in a 78-run partnership pushed us close although 50 was still needed from the final 6 overs. Enter Ben Allen who blitzed a rapid 25 to send us over the line and left Jude 61 not out.
With it all to play for on the final day of the festival, RGS Worcester was one win away from being crowned festival champions. As both Captains stepped onto the field for the coin toss, RGS Worcester elected to bat first. Unfortunately, RGS Guildford’s excellent new ball pair meant we amassed 87 all out with one Guildford bowler claiming 5 wickets for 15 runs in a brilliant spell of aggressive bowling. In spite of the situation, a noble defence of the score ensued with Guildford at one point teetering on 37 for 4, although in the end they reached the target for the loss of only two more wickets (88 for 6).
We had a thoroughly enjoyable week which gave the Upper Sixth students a competitive sporting ‘send-off’ from RGS and other members of the squad valuable experience ready for next season. All of the RGS Schools will reconvene next year in July, when the host will be RGS High Wycombe.
Philip Newport
Head of Cricket
