A Fantastic Week of Cricket!

It has been a brilliant week of cricket, with pupils taking part in both home and away fixtures under glorious sunshine. Every team has shown great enthusiasm, teamwork, and determination, with pupils demonstrating how much their skills are developing in batting, bowling, and fielding. It has been wonderful to see such positive attitudes and progress across all matches, well done to everyone involved!

Tuesday 28th April 

U9/8 v King’s Hawford 

We travelled to King’s Hawford for our U9/8s first cricket match of the year, following a lot of hard work in cricket club last term and games sessions at the start of this one. Spirits were high and the team was eager to put their training into action. 

After losing the toss, we were put into bat first. The team responded brilliantly, showing confidence and awareness at the crease. There was some excellent running between the wickets, with clear communication throughout. Charlie, Wilf, Akshay, Archie, Hugo and Gabe all impressed with the bat, each striking superb boundaries. The standout moment came from Hugo, who smashed a huge six that sailed over the boundary, an incredible shot and a real highlight of the innings. Thanks to this strong batting display, we set an impressive target of 259. 

Heading into bowl, the focus was on maintaining a tight field, staying alert and bowling at the stumps to limit extras. The team delivered on all fronts. Archie H and Theo produced outstanding bowling spells, each delivering overs that included five dot balls and conceding runs from just a single delivery, an excellent achievement. Archie M and Hugo each claimed a wicket, while Wilf led the way with two wickets of his own. 

Overall, the bowling was consistently straight and at a good length, allowing us to apply pressure and restrict King’s Hawford’s run chase to 223. It was a complete team performance and a fantastic start to the term. Well done to everyone involved! 

U9/8 v King’s Hawford 

The U8/9 C team took to the field for their first fixture against Kings Hawford in what proved to be an enjoyable and highly competitive match. 

For many of the players, it was their first experience of a match situation, and they rose to the occasion brilliantly. The team showed excellent intent with the bat, combining some confident ball striking with very positive running between the wickets. The communication and willingness to push for runs was particularly pleasing and kept the pressure on the opposition throughout. 

There were several moments of strong hitting, with players showing growing confidence in their ability to find the gaps and score freely. This was well supported by their awareness between the wickets, turning singles into twos and keeping the scoreboard moving. 

With the ball, there were some encouraging efforts, but this is an area for development. Moving forward, the team will look to improve their consistency and focus on bowling straighter, with an emphasis on hitting the stumps more regularly. 

Overall, it was a fantastic first outing, full of energy, enthusiasm, and plenty of positives to build on for the rest of the season. 

U9/U8 vs King’s Hawford 

The U9/U8 team enjoyed a competitive and exciting cricket match against King’s Hawford, with some excellent individual and team performances on display. 

There were some standout batting partnerships throughout the game. Ben and Milan batted confidently, scoring an excellent 53 runs between them. They were well supported by Leen and Rosa, who added a strong 37 runs, showing great teamwork and shot selection. Maren and Olivia also made a valuable contribution, scoring 43 runs with purposeful batting and good communication between the wickets. 

A special congratulations goes to Rosa, who was awarded Player of the Match for her clean hitting and excellent running between the wickets, putting pressure on the fielding side and keeping the scoreboard moving. 

With the ball, Maren impressed with her bowling, showing clear improvement and much greater accuracy. She bowled with good control and a strong, consistent delivery, making it harder for the opposition to score. 

Overall, it was a fantastic team effort, and King’s St Albans came out on top. Well done to all players for their enthusiasm, teamwork, and positive attitude throughout the match. 

U9/8 v King’s Hawford 

The U8/9 cricket opened the season with a positive first fixture, and for some players their very first match. After losing the toss we bowled first, learning the pairs format together. Everyone showed great effort with overarm bowling; Luna hit a consistent good length, Kate bowled nice and straight, while Lakshmi and Edward were our most consistent. In the field, Rory reacted quickly to take a run out. Batting, Xander, Rory and Luna all made good contact, and the girls communicated well to take runs. A really encouraging afternoon with lots of lessons learned for the whole team improving skills confidence. 

Wednesday 29th April 

U11/10 v King’s Hawford 

We welcomed King’s Hawford for our U11/10 cricket fixture and, after losing the toss, were sent into the field first. The team produced an impressive display with the ball, keeping extras to a minimum and doing an excellent job of restricting the run rate. 

With the match played in a pairs format, every wicket proved especially valuable as it meant the opposition lost five runs. This worked strongly in our favour as we took a total of eight wickets. Matthew, Monty and Adam each contributed, with Adam picking up two wickets, while Nell delivered a truly outstanding spell, bowling two overs and claiming four wickets. Hugo also performed well behind the stumps with some assured wicketkeeping. 

The standout moment in the field came from Matthew, who pulled off a fantastic diving one handed catch that lifted the whole team. This moment summed up the energy and commitment shown throughout the innings. Combined with some great fielding and consistently accurate bowling, there was a real buzz in the team, and we were able to restrict King’s Hawford to a total of 251. 

In reply, the batting unit showed intelligence and maturity, steadily building the run rate across the pairs. Joshua and Pip set the tone with a composed partnership, recognising that boundaries were not required and instead rotating the strike with safe and well judged shots. Thea and Haadi also impressed in the final pair, communicating well and finishing strongly to push the score along. 

The team finished on 270. It was a fantastic all round performance, and special mention must go to Joshua, who captained the side brilliantly throughout. 

U11/10 v King’s Hawford 

It was fantastic to get the term underway with our U11/10 fixture against King’s Hawford, and for several players it marked their first cricket match of the season. There was a real sense of excitement and anticipation, and it was especially pleasing to see how much progress has been made through last term in club. 

From the outset, the team showed great enthusiasm and commitment in the field. Communication was strong, and the players worked well together as a unit, backing each other up and showing a growing understanding of the game. The fielding in particular was impressive, with some sharp stops and confident throws highlighting the team’s effort and focus. 

With the bat, Hannah stood out with a composed and confident performance, demonstrating excellent technique and awareness. Her contribution was a real highlight and helped set the tone for the innings. 

Elodie was the pick of the bowlers, delivering with accuracy and control. Her bowling kept the pressure on throughout and showed great promise for the matches ahead. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable and competitive game with plenty of positives to take away. Most importantly, it was great to see the players applying the skills they’ve been developing and enjoying their cricket. A brilliant start to the term, and lots to build on moving forward. 

U11/10 v King’s Hawford  

The U10 team took part in a closely fought and exciting cricket match against King’s Hawford, with some superb individual performances across the team. 

With the ball, Lillianna produced an excellent bowling performance, gaining a well‑deserved wicket. The team shone in the field, where some quick reactions and awareness led to two impressive run outs, putting pressure on the opposition throughout their innings. 

In the batting innings, Daniel and Lillianna formed a strong partnership, confidently adding 27 runs to the total. Their positive stroke play and good communication helped maintain momentum and keep the scoreboard ticking. 

A special well done goes to Imogen, who was awarded Bowler of the Match for her consistent and effective bowling, and to Daniel, who received Batter of the Match for his confident and composed batting performance. 

Despite a determined team effort, it was a closely contested game, with King’s Hawford edging the win by just 4 runs. Well done to all players for their teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. 

U11/10 v King’s Hawford 

The U10/11 team kicked off their cricket season with an exciting match against Hawford, showing great enthusiasm and teamwork throughout. Despite some early season nerves, the players quickly settled into their rhythm and demonstrated real promise for the months ahead. 

Batting first, the team produced a confident display at the crease. Flo was particularly impressive, timing her shots beautifully and finding the gaps with ease. Her calm composure and excellent shot selection set the tone for the innings and provided a solid foundation for the team. 

When it came time to bowl, the group maintained good energy and focus. Becky and Rudy stood out with their excellent bowling, consistently hitting good areas and applying real pressure on the Hawford batters. Both were rewarded for their accuracy and determination, showing great control and awareness beyond their years. 

Fielding was lively as well, with plenty of communication, supportive teamwork, and some sharp stops in the deep. While there are still areas to refine as the season progresses, this first performance was full of promise. 

A great start to the season well played everyone. 

U11/10 v King’s Hawford 

King’s St Alban’s travelled to King’s Hawford for a friendly and enjoyable cricket match in sunny but windy conditions. It was a great game with lots of coaching, encouragement, and improvement from both teams throughout the afternoon. 

Kasvika bowled very well, taking a wicket and being named the Opposition’s Bowler of the Match. Bella also claimed a wicket with a sharp stumping. 

Iris and India both batted well and looked confident at the crease. Iris was voted the Opposition’s Batter of the Match for her excellent performance. 

Henrietta and Sofia both worked really hard on their bowling and showed lots of improvement. 

Overall, it was a lovely match played in a great spirit, and King’s St Alban’s finished with a well-deserved win. After the match, they enjoyed a match tea with the King’s Hawford children and really enjoyed socialising and reconnecting with children they had met previously.