The Cricketer Magazine has recently published its Cricketer Schools Guide 2022, featuring the top 100 senior and the top 50 prep schools in the country.
We are once again delighted to be named in the Top 100 senior schools, and this year, our Prep School has been named in the Top 50 prep schools.
The official news came earlier this week in an online announcement by The Cricketer, who commented, “It follows an exhaustive process which saw a huge number of schools submit entries to be included in the guide. All entries were judged against an extensive set of criteria, which included a compelling commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes and coaching.”
Also taken into account was how schools kept the game alive during the pandemic, and how they look to ensure cricket remains a central part of school life. While there were many lost fixtures due to the pandemic, boys in our prep and upper school were able to take advantage of our facilities with regular sessions in the nets, including a very popular ‘Head Master’s Nets’ for our boarders. Online cricket skills were made available to boys to use at home. Boys also benefited from an intense indoor training throughout the winter months of the pandemic to ensure they were match ready for the 2021 season.
We are naturally delighted to make this prestigious list which is testament to all the hard work our cricket coaches have invested into the school over the years. In addition, the magazine features an exclusive Bedford School article, which includes an interview with Director of Cricket, Gary Steer.
Bedford School Cricket facts:
- We have approximately 80 boys in the Upper and Prep School who play county cricket for Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Hampshire and Derbyshire.
- We have two boys in county first class academies.
- Two of our boys have signed as professional cricketers at Northamptonshire CCC within the last six months.
- A large number of Prep School boys receive 1:2 coaching with our Director of Cricket as part of their standard PE lessons.
- Boys are able to train in the nets before school, at lunchtime and after school.
- We have five bowling machines, one Merlyn spin machine, six brand new indoor nets, eight cricket squares and 16 outdoor nets.
- We have biennial cricket tours to Cape Town for our Prep School and every three years in the Upper School to various countries around the world. For example, in the past, the Upper School have toured Barbados, Australia, Dubai and South Africa.
Old Bedfordians who are currently playing professional cricket:
- Sir Alastair Cook (98-03)
- Alex Wakely (96-07)
- Charlie Thurston (07-14)
- Emilio Gay (11-18)
- Harry Gouldstone (12-19)
- Gus Miller (15-20)
Facilities include:
- 18 outdoor cricket nets (8 grass, 10 artificial)
- 6 indoor cricket nets
- 8 cricket pitches
We can also boast an abundance of talent from our current staff members:
- Gary Steer, Director of Cricket played for Derbyshire CCC
- Tom Brett played for Northamptonshire CCC and currently plays for Bedfordshire as well as a high standard of club cricket
- James Hodgson, Head Master played for Surrey 2nd XI and was awarded his Cambridge Blue in 1994.
- Simon Lincoln, Keith Thomson, Ross Wise and Will Montgomery have all played (or are still playing) cricket to a high club standard