Anyone for cricket?

Cricket is one of the fastest growing female sports in the UK and it is great that this trend has not passed RHSB by.

There has been a great energy and enthusiasm in games, training and in matches across the year groups In an exciting first fixture against Prior Park the U15 team, ably captained by Jemima Lawrie and Amelie Evans, clinched the win in a fiercely competitive match. The mixed Year 9 and 10 team worked together, using the club experience of the co-captains along with other players such as Flora Steele and Jess Potter, to secure the win.

Following this success they went on to beat Badminton School, getting their season off to a great start. This week will see the team play hard ball pairs against KES, whereby this change in format will provide an additional challenge for this talented group of cricketers. The U14 and U13 teams have also had a couple of fixtures, with both winning or losing narrowly in competitive soft ball games against Prior and Badminton. With many pupils potentially trying this sport for the first time, they have taken to the different elements of bowling and batting well, showing great promise for future years.

With the addition of our new Flicx pitch and cricket net, it has been a great opportunity for our club cricketers to showcase their skills, while nurturing those new to the game. With the development of a partnership with Bath Cricket Club, cricket will continue to go from strength to strength at RHSB and we will look to develop our game and our fixtures calendar to match.

We are also extremely warmed to have received a legacy donation from an alumna who passed away a few years ago. Laura Lushington was a student at The Royal School which she left in 1938 and expressed her wish in her will that the legacy she left for the school be used ‘for whatever the school committee may think fit but preferably for the sports of swimming, cricket or fencing’.

Laura is a shining example of the strong and incredible women we hope to encourage here at The Royal High School Bath, and we are touched to have been part of her story. During the War Laura served as a WAAF officer in the Royal Air Force and later came to establish the Van Cat breed in the UK and almost 50 years later the Turkish Van Kedi are a much loved breed all around the world.

Heidi Baber, Head of Sport, highlights more about what the month has been spent on:

‘The generous donation from the Lushington’s has been spent on improving the delivery of our cricket provision at RHSB across both the Prep and Senior Schools. With this money we have been able to purchase a portable cricket net and a Flicx strip, which is a portable cricket wicket. This means that we now have a clearly marked bowling area for girls to practise and develop their cricket all year around and the net allows for specific batting, bowling and wicket keeping practise in a safe and contained environment. Furthermore, it has enabled the Prep School to host and play cricket fixtures with ease. The portability and durability of these items means that we can have some form of cricket being played all year around and create multi use sporting areas. Both pieces of equipment have generated a real buzz and excitement for the game, with substantial numbers at our cricket clubs. So a huge thank to the Lushington’s for their generous donation.’

Jemima in Year 10 has also touched on what the new kit means to her as a student:

‘The last woman in my family to play hardball cricket at school was my great grandmother in the 1920s, which is why this new cricket kit is a historic message to our generation, and especially girls' cricket. It's a shame it's taken so long, but at least we don't have to wear ankle-length skirts to play in! I loved my first hardball match for RHSB and to win by 40 runs was an incredible achievement.‘

We are incredibly grateful to all of those who donate to us, support us or leave us a legacy in their will to offer continued support to our students and the school community. If you would like further information, please take a look at our Legacy Giving page.