History of Cricket at King’s College by Chris Warren OA, Carpenter 1964
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ricket, along with athletics, is the outstanding cricketer was T H E Goldie Richard Harden who was later to play
only sport that has been played who was in the 1st XI for four years as successfully for Somerset and Roger
throughout the school’s history. In well as being School Captain in 1938. Twose who became a one-day specialist
the 1890s matches were played against By then King’s were playing Millfield, with Warwickshire and New Zealand.
Queens, Clifton and Huish’s and local King’s Bruton and Exeter as well as local
sides such as the Somerset Stragglers. Roy Marshall was succeeded by Dennis
clubs such as Wilton and the YMCA.
Queen’s and Clifton may therefore There was also a strong Masters XI. Breakwell, the Northamptonshire and
be considered the school’s oldest Somerset spinner and King’s began
After the War the fixture list steadily producing some fine cricketers. Pre
continuous opponents. improved thanks largely to the Master or post-season tours to far-away
Early editions of The Aluredian refer i/c C W James, himself a fine batsman. places like South Africa, Barbados and
to bowlers electing to bowl ‘uphill’ and Tours were arranged to the Midland
Australia became the norm and King’s
‘towards the pavilion’ indicating that the Division of the Woodard Schools. In the
began hosting strong overseas touring
square as we know it today has been early ‘60s the diminutive B H White was
schools.
rotated 90◦. By today’s standards scores the star with bat and ball and graced
were generally low, the Rippon twins Minor Counties cricket for a number Perhaps the golden era is today. The
who later went on to play for Somerset, of subsequent years. The Pelicans, present Somerset team is graced
averaging just 22 and 12 in the 1907 a casual team of Masters, boys and regularly with three OAs – Jos Buttler,
season. occasional guests, began a long and Alex Barrow and Craig Meschede, all of
successful history by playing sporting whom were star members of the 1st XI
The school’s first Test cricketer was F. and enjoyable cricket. in the late 2000s. Jos Buttler is already a
L Archer who played for Barbados and brilliantly inventive player for England’s
In the ‘70s Roy Marshall, a batting
the fledgling West Indies before the First
legend in Hampshire and the West one-day sides. The standing of King’s in
World War.
Indies, joined King’s as cricket coach. the world of cricket has certainly never
Between the Wars perhaps the most In the early ‘80s the 1st XI included been higher.
One of King’s earliest cricket team photographs taken in 1882 Watching from the steps of the Cricket Pavillion, 1950s
Dennis Breakwell headed the Somerset XI Team with some famous Some tense moments at the Centenary
assistance for the school’s Centenary Cricket Match 1979 Cricket Match 1979
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