Merchant Taylors’ becomes Lancashire Cricket training hub

Merchant Taylors’ School has entered an exciting new partnership with Lancashire Cricket.

The agreement will see the school become a Regional Development Centre, designed to create a new pathway for talented young cricketers to develop their skills and learn to play ‘The Lancashire Way’.

Qualified coaches will provide graded sessions for boys and girls from Year 3 to Year 10, enabling players to engage at a level that suits their circumstances and their ambitions for development, whether they want to play socially or become first-class cricketers.

Merchant Taylors’ is one of only six schools in Lancashire to be selected for this new programme and the only one in the Liverpool City Region. It will be open to Merchant Taylors’ pupils and children from other schools.

The school’s cricket teams regularly perform well on the regional and national stage, with recent successes including last year’s Under-12s Lancashire Cup, the Under-15 national schools’ T20 tournament and northern T20 and 40-over competition in 2018 and three trophies for the first XI in 2017.

Former pupils George Lavelle and Tom Hartley recently made their professional debuts for Lancashire, while fellow Old Crosbeian Ben Aitchison played his first match for Derbyshire this summer.

David Wickes, headmaster at Merchant Taylors’ Boys’ School, said:

“Cricket is an integral part of life at our school; we have extensive facilities, including permanent outdoor and indoor nets and an immaculate cricket square, and our teams at all levels enjoy regular success on a regional and national level.

“Indeed, we are proud that a number of our boys have gone on to play for Lancashire and other county teams in recent years, so we are delighted to continue to strengthen this close bond.

“We are also excited to provide new opportunities, both for our own pupils and children from the wider local community, to showcase their talent, expand their love of cricket and learn from a high quality coaching team.”

The recent increase in Covid-19 restrictions has caused the start of the programme to be delayed temporarily, but it is hoped that the first sessions will get underway in January. To register your interest, please visit the following LINK.