Competition for places sparks Middlesex success at Merchant Taylors'

Head of cricket lives by the motto of "first-class education, first-class people, first-class cricketers"

Phil Davies lives by the motto of “first-class education, first-class people, first-class cricketers” at Merchant Taylors’ School.

It is a claim he makes with plenty of evidence to back it up.

As well as a state-of-the-art indoor centre used by Middlesex’s senior and junior players, the school boasts 12 grass squares and two county standard first team pitches, among other top-notch facilities, when springtime comes around. 

This programme has translated into plenty of success on the field, most recently with Merchant Taylors’ Under-15s claiming the ESCA national 40-over title in the summer.

“It was no mean feat out of the thousand schools that entered, and I’m hoping to try and cement the school’s position towards the top of the cricketing hierarchy,” says Davies, recently promoted to director of cricket after seven years at the school.

“I’d happily put my neck on the line and say our facilities are best in the country, and that little bit of extra access is always good for aspiring county cricketers and makes a huge difference for our lower end cricketers.”

“We have a great coaching staff and cricket-loving teachers that push all boys from A teams through to E teams to improve and be their best. They’re all accessing that level of coaching and facilities, as well as playing upwards of 10 fixtures a season.

“Performance and participation aren’t mutually exclusive here and our lower end cricketers can aspire to be higher end cricketers, which in turn really does generate competition for places.”

That competition has paid dividends, with 50 boys in county pathways at the likes of Middlesex, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.

As well as historic games on their fixture list like St Paul’s, contested since 1840, Merchant Taylors’ cricketers are also exposed to top-level opposition in a pre-season quadrangular tournament involving Tonbridge, Repton and King’s College Taunton.

Touring sides from India and Sri Lanka also add to the variety.

“I know the programme like the back of my hand and I’m determined to keep the good ship running,” adds Davies.

“At the same time, I am always trying to take the programme to new heights and provide the best cricketing opportunities for all our boys, be they aspiring professional cricketers, or ones who just play to be with their friends on Saturday.”

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