Curran brothers' old school bids to become force in girls' game

Wellington College, in Berkshire, wants to launch a new cricket festival as part of its programme

Wellington College is where the three Curran brothers took such an important step towards the top.

Now Wellington’s Thea Brookes, a former allrounder for Central Sparks, Southern Vipers, Warwickshire and Surrey, is helping establish the Berkshire school as a force in the girls’ game. Fifty years after females were first admitted to the sixth form, it’s decent timing.

“I like to go around all our girls and ask who their favourite cricketer is,” says Brookes. “Secretly I’m hoping they say a woman, and quite often now they are saying, ‘Nat Sciver-Brunt or Lauren Bell’.”

“There’s been a bit of a step-change in attitude. A lot of our under-16s play the game because they’re good at it. They might be good hockey players or athletes.”

“But some of our under-14s are really, really into the game. They’re watching it avidly and they have a real tactical awareness that comes from doing so, and The Hundred has definitely been part of that.”

“Historically, in girls’ cricket, one or two players tend to dominate. We are seeing some really strong all-round sides now through the XI.”

Wellington is ideally positioned in a powerful National County, with Berkshire closely aligned to Hampshire, and Middlesex and Surrey nearby.

“The players sort themselves out to a degree. Many of them are already part of a county pathway, and as long as the comms are good then it’s very promising for them.”

Brookes is trying to set up a girls’ cricket festival for schools in the region, which she would like to name after a current England women’s great.

Director of sport, Dan Pratt, added: “We are so lucky to have some great role models, including Thea.”

“We have Alice Macleod playing for Essex and Cesca Sweet for Leicestershire.”

“We can’t underestimate things like the co-ed honours board, with centuries for the girls’ 1st XI listed alongside the boys’ 1st XI. It helps drive a ‘club’ feel.”

Pratt has witnessed an attitude shift in the 17 years he has been working at the college.

“We used to hear that the game was too long, or that parents wanted to get their kids home by 6.30pm, but now everyone seems open to T20 or 100-ball; if it’s in coloured kit with a white ball, so be it.” 

“We’re trying to engender a lifelong love of the game.”