Prior Park Wins Prestigious Cricket Award

10 Sep 2012

The Forty Club has awarded a national cricket skills and fair play award to Prior Park College’s 1st XI team.

With HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh as its patron, the Forty Club is the second largest private cricket Club in the world. The aim of the Club since 1936 has been ‘to take cricket to the schools’ by offering Schools (both State and Public) and Youth XIs fixtures against experienced cricketers who will encourage the young cricketers to play the game to the highest standards of performance and behaviour and in the best spirit of the game. The Forty Club currently plays some 130 fixtures a season against School and Youth sides throughout England Scotland and Wales.

In a letter addressed to the Headmaster, Barry Aitken announced that Prior Park College was judged to have performed best against the Club in the last year. The categories which are considered and reported on by the Forty Club skipper and umpire cover individual and collective skills on the field, and the Spirit of Cricket categories – behaviour on and off the field, captaincy, sportsmanship and general turnout.
Mr Aitken invited two representatives of the College to attend the Club Annual Dinner at Lords to receive the trophy on 19 October.
Headmaster, James Murphy-O’Connor is delighted with the award: “Of course we play to win, but we appreciate an award that acknowledges both skill and sportsmanship. This award does indeed represent the Spirit of Cricket and we are thrilled to accept it. Our 1st XI enjoyed a successful season last year and thoroughly deserves such a prestigious award. We extend our thanks to the Forty Club and our appreciation for all they do for youth cricket in this country.”