Cricket
Shrewsbury sets out to be one of the best cricket schools in the country. Our cricketers have the privilege of playing on the fields described by the cricket-writer Sir Neville Cardus as "the most beautiful playing fields in the world".
Shrewsbury regularly fields 13 teams across all age groups and also has a flourishing House programme to enable boys and girls of all abilities to play. We endeavour to take our teams on overseas cricket tours with recent destinations having included UAE and South Africa (2023 & 2014), South Africa (2019 - our first co-ed tour with the Girls' 1st XI), the UAE (2017 - U15 XI only), South Africa (2012), Dubai and Australia (2010), Sri Lanka and Barbados.
The school has 4 immaculate cricket squares, 18 grass nets and 4 artificial nets allowing our cricketers to make use of some of the best facilities in the country. Shrewsbury has played host to ECB age-related matches and festivals, and we regularly see Division 1 & 2 Counties make use of the facilities, which sees many Old Salopians return to the school as part of these squads.
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Dedicated Indoor Cricket Centre
Shrewsbury School's GMR Cricket Centre is a state-of-the-art indoor training facility that was opened in 2006. Specifically designed to aid the development of cricketers of all ages, from beginners to those of a professional standard, the Centre develops enthusiasm for the sport using the best quality facilities, educating and inspiring cricketers to learn and practise all aspects of their game.
Features of the Cricket Centre include:
• Four 4-metre wide lanes with substantial 16 metre long run-ups for fast bowlers
• Super-Grasse Test surface
• Shock absorbers in the run-up and follow through
• The hall can be divided into two for fielding practice
• The hall can accommodate a 6-a-side indoor cricket match
• 4 BOLA bowling machines
• The latest video analysis software
• Viewing gallery overlooking all 4 lanes
Team Achievements
In 2023, our U17 Boys' cricket team won The Cricket Paper's U17 National Cup, retaining the title they won in 2022.
The Girls’ 1st XI team were crowned champions of The Cricket Paper’s National Schools 100 Ball competition 2021 and were runners up in the same competition the following year.
The Boys' U15 side has had considerable success in the Lord’s Taverners Colts Trophy in recent years.
The culmination of the Boys' 1st XI season is the Silk Trophy. This highly-coveted trophy is competed for by Shrewsbury, Eton, Oundle and an overseas touring side at the end of each summer term. In 2015 Shrewsbury won the Silk Trophy for the third year running - the only school to do so in the 25 years of the competition.
In 2013 Shrewsbury also achieved the unique distinction of winning the HMC National Schools Under-18 Twenty20 trophy and being declared joint winners of the School Sport Magazine Under-17 Cup and the ECB/ESCA Under-15 Twenty20 Championship. This is a feat unprecedented in school cricket.
Individual Success
Old Salopians who are currently playing county cricket include Ed Barnard (PH 2012-14) (Warwickshire), Jack Home (O 2019-24) (Worcestershire), Theo Wylie (O 2019-24) (Warwickshire), Joe Leach (M 2004-09) (Worcestershire), David Lloyd (G 08-10) (Derbyshire), Ruaidhri Smith (Rt 2010-12) (Glamorgan), Ed Pollock (I 2011-13) (Worcestershire).
Issy Wong (G, 2015-2020) currently plays for Warwickshire, Central Sparks, Birmingham Phoenix, Mumbai Indians and in 2022 made her debut for England. The fast bowler started playing professionally for Warwickshire in 2019, in the same year making school history when she became the first girl to play for the Boys 1st XI. After finishing school, she was one of five players offered a professional contract at the West Midlands Regional Hub Central Sparks. Issy also competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, representing England where they made it to the semi finals.
James Taylor (R 2003-08) played for Nottinghamshire and for England until a diagnosis of a serious heart condition sadly forced him to retire from a professional playing career in 2016. James was a prolific batsman during his time at Shrewsbury and started receiving awards almost as soon as he entered the professional world; he was named Wisden’s Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year for 2008. He made his England Test debut when he faced South Africa at Headingley in August 2012.