Shrewsbury High crowned champions at inaugural GDST Cricket Rally

Shrewsbury's team celebrating their trophy

On Friday 1st of July, fourteen schools from across the GDST network gathered at Hampstead Cricket Club for the first ever GDST Cricket Rally.

Despite the grey skies and spitting rain, everyone remained optimistic about the day of cricket that lay ahead.

The fourteen schools played four matches each, adding up their runs for their cumulative score. Each team really approached the day with huge enthusiasm and played some brilliant cricket. Between matches the girls were lucky enough to be coached by special guests Chander Kaul (former Indian International and Middlesex cricketer) and Piya Yadav (Middlesex support coach).

When the results of the matches were in, it was Shrewsbury High and Notting Hill and Ealing who made it to the final, with Norwich and Streatham & Clapham in the third place play-off.

After a nail biting final, Shrewsbury High won by just seven runs! Both teams hit over two hundred runs, with great bowling on display as well as an impressive diving catch to round it all off.

The enthusiasm of the girls was amazing, with players of all ability competing together to create a really enjoyable day. It was lovely to see everybody taking part and cheering on their team whether they were winning or losing.

The atmosphere was summed up best by special guest Holly Huddleston, a New Zealand international cricketer and Middlesex bowler, who hopes to represent New Zealand in the 2017 women’s cricket world cup. She said, “It was nice to see girls running around, laughing, joking, just loving cricket.”

“It was quick, it was fast, it was fun. I can imagine the girls, having had such a great day, would definitely want to play again and that’s how you really get people into it. I think this is something schools should do more of”

We hope that this day really inspired some of these girls to get involved in their local teams and even to continue their sport.

Thanks to Chris Thompson, Vicky Charalambous, and all the schools who took part and made the day such a success.