Whitgift School, an independent day and boarding school, is home to just over 1,500 boys aged 10 to 18. It was founded in 1596 by John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury, during the reign of Elizabeth I.
Cricket has been played at the School for over 150 years. For its students, the sport plays a role in shaping not only their skills on the field but also in furthering high academic success and a well-rounded co-curricular experience. Whitgift aims to instil a lifelong passion for cricket while fostering personal growth and character development among students who are also committed to improvement.
Nestled in a beautiful 45-acre parkland, Whitgift boasts some of the finest training and playing facilities available nationally. For over a decade, the School annually hosted first-class and List A matches. Cricket Australia and New Zealand have used these facilities as a training base on previous international tours.
Cricket becomes a key part of school life during the summer term. At U11, U12 and U13 levels, all students learn the fundamentals and 24 teams participate in fixtures against other schools. Teams face strong opposition from top school teams throughout the season and have the opportunity to enhance their skills through the winter. Simon Jackson, a former Jamaican first-class cricketer and Level 4-qualified coach, leads a county-style Cricket Academy for the most able players.
Former Surrey players David Ward (Head of Cricket) and Neil Kendrick (Head of Cricket Performance & Level 4 coach) lead the cricket department which has nurtured many international and first-class cricketers, such as Jason Roy, Rory Burns, Dominic Sibley, Laurie Evans and Jamie Smith.
The School runs an extensive cricket touring programme with over 70 Junior students attending annual trips to Desert Springs in Spain and every third year to Barbados. A Senior tour is run for the older students every two years, with recent destinations including South Africa and Australia.
Whitgift has won over ten National cricket titles since 1998 at U11, U13, U15 and U18 level.
