Schools match of the month: Emanuel School v King's College School

Huw Turbervill visits Emanuel School’s delightful ground in Battersea to see how youngsters are embracing midweek T20 matches

Emanuel School: King's College School 155/3, Emanuel School 130 - KCS win by 25 runs

Professional cricketers have trouble switching between formats, and youngsters are no different.

The trend in schools’ cricket seems to be for T20 matches in midweek, with longer contests at weekends. So clear the front leg and smash it over midwicket one afternoon, then play with a straight bat a few days later.

King’s College School, Wimbledon had the power game in this capital clash, perfect for T20, but hosts Emanuel showed enough to suggest they could prosper in the longer-format fixtures they have lined up this summer. Emanuel in Battersea, south-west London, have a wonderful field for cricket, big enough for two matches side by side on a Saturday.

It is a splendid setting. A line of blossoming horse chestnut trees, and the Victorian gothic tower of the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts peering over the top, is at one end, and the neat, symmetrical white pavilion (which doubles up as the refectory) is at the other.

It is a plushgrassed green oasis, with only busy railway lines on two flanks disturbing the serenity. Surrey's all-conquering captain Stuart Surridge learnt his cricket at the school so there is clear pedigree there.

KCS – in a striking red and navy outfit – batted first and made 155 for 3.

Their star batsman was Marcus Heenk. His 66 came from only 53 balls, and he struck three sixes. Two were over deep midwicket, which comes with the territory in T20, but a lovely straight drive over long-off signified his talent.

He also hit eight fours. Captain Aaryan Pillai also struck two sixes in his 31-ball 23, one over long-on and the other deep square-leg in the direction of the four-lane indoor nets, and Felix Lamy was unbeaten on a steadier 31.

It looked as if KCS would make a lot more but off-spinner Sacha Banks bowled beautifully, conceding only 13 runs in four overs. His disciplined off-stump line was immaculate on a pitch that demanded batsmen played forward to the spinners.

The tall Ivan Barker also caused problems once he got to grips with the pink ball (apparently quite a few of the youngsters struggle with it). There was also a persistent cloud of smoke wafting across the pitch to contend with early on, but not – as was joked – from an exploding chemistry lab. Instead it came from a bonfire from a neighbouring garden.

Pranav Khera made two early strikes to put Emanuel – in navy with yellow trim – immediately on the back foot; he seemed the first bowler to find significant seam movement on the day.

The techniques of Nancy Hughes and Will Ellis looked excellent, but they kept finding the fielders. Hughes played the shot of the day though, along the ground through mid-on. Ellis cover drove then square drove backward of point for successive fours, but at 35 for 3 off  8 Emanuel were struggling.

As it happened they did come relatively close, with Ellis blazing away, with two sixes over long-off. He reached his half-century off 41 balls and another huge six, smashed in the direction of the assembly hall beyond deep midwicket, gave them late hope, but they had given themselves too much to do.

Ellis was last out, caught at long-on for 66, the total at 130. A year 13 pupil, he was last year’s player of the year, and is shaping up for a strong defence of his crown. The next highest score was 12. Seamer Dhilan Patel removed him, and bowled well at the death to finish with 3 for 18, and Kairan Sivapathasumdram's slow left-armers also captured three wickets, but he was more expensive.

The sides had met in the National T20 the previous weekend and the outcome had been the same, so it was no great shock to see KCS triumph. (Hosts Dulwich College emerged victorious in the final. Their coach is Bill Athey, one of the heroes of the 1986/87 Ashes tour, so maybe we shouldn't be surprised).

Tom Gwynne is head of cricket at Emanuel. "I was pleased with the way we reined KCS in after a poor start, with Sacha bowling beautifully, and we executed our skills well at the death. We then gave ourselves too much to do in the final 10 overs of our innings, although Will batted beautifully.

"We have started the season with several T20 matches however, and we are learning fast. We are looking forward to the summer, including matches against MCC, City of London Freemen's, Epsom College and Worth in Sussex."

Mark Stear has been 1st XI coach at Emanuel for 13 years. The former Berkshire Minor Counties player said: "We have a group of six or seven players who have been in the 1st XI for three years now. Hopefully that will enable us to have a strong season."

He has seen huge changes at the school. "When I arrived we had no outdoor nets or covers. We also now have an electric scoreboard. The transformation has been incredible.

"There has also been more T20 played, which the youngsters love as energy levels can be sustained throughout."

Head teacher Robert Milne is also a former Birmingham League cricketer, so the sport is in safe hands from the top down.

Ben Hudson, acting head of cricket at KCS, was delighted with his side’s efforts.

"Marcus showed the value of building a solid base then kicking on. It was a pleasing performance with the bat, then our attack performed strongly." 

On the trend for playing T20 in midweek and longer matches at weekends, he said: "It works well for us. About half of our pupils are taking A-Levels and the other half are doing the international baccalaureate, so it is exam season pretty much the whole summer term.

"We have very few cricketers saying they do not want to play though – and recent articles in The Cricketer and Telegraph suggested playing sport is good for you during exam season.

"Gary Butcher is our pro, and we have a strong fixture list that sees us play schools like Tiffin, Trinity and Reed's.

"We also toured Sri Lanka last summer with 26 players. Cricket remains popular at KCS."

That is good news, and a similar picture can be told at Emanuel. Their players are still basking in the memories of their own enjoyable tour to Sri Lanka last Christmas.

"We managed just the one win but we had two other close games out of six," said Gwynne.

"It was a fascinating learning experience, playing in alien conditions. Our players have never faced so much spin in their lives!"

The rapid advancement of girls' cricket at Emanuel is also positive.

It is not just the presence of Hughes in the first XI. Rounders was phased out three years ago and there are girls' teams at under-11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 level. As the girls go up the school a 1st XI is expected soon.

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