Year 13 pupil Qasim Shah and Dr Butler, Head of Physical Education and Sport, were invited to attend a formal awards dinner in the Long Room at Lord’s Cricket Ground, following recognition from the prestigious ‘Forty Club’. The school was been recognised as the North-West winner of the Forty Club award, one of twelve teams selected nationally.
The award, which will be presented to QEGS at an esteemed annual dinner at Lord’s, is given to teams who scored highly in the categories of ‘Spirit of Cricket’ and playing skills in their game against the club this season. The Forty Club match manager can award marks in sportsmanship, general turnout, captaincy, behaviour on and off the field, teamwork, batting, bowling and fielding. District winners are selected based on total marks given, along with consideration of the match manager’s own report and umpire’s report. The award also recognises QEGS’ continued commitment to the playing of cricket at all levels across the school.
On the 15th November, both Dr Butler and QEGS’ Cricket XI Captain Qasim will travel to Lord’s Cricket Ground in London to represent the school, collecting the North-West shield from the President of MCC, Kumar Sangakkara. Following this, QEGS will be VIP guests at a black tie dinner which will take place in the impressive Long Room, with a host of high-profile guests and speakers in attendance.
Dr Butler, who has managed cricket at QEGS for over 30 years, said of the recognition: “We are incredibly proud to be being celebrated at a national event with so much prestige. At QEGS, sport is a fundamental pillar of school life and it is fantastic to see our dedication to cricket commended. In our recent ‘GOOD’ OFSTED inspection, the report highlighted this invitation and the ‘stunning range of opportunities’ that we have at QEGS to enhance the pupil experience. We are thoroughly looking forward to what promises to be a memorable evening at Lord’s and continuing our success in sport for years to come.”
Despite a relatively limited cricket season and examination pressures, QEGS continues to offer regular Wednesday 1st X1 fixtures against local opposition including the MCC. It plays approximately 50 junior fixtures over the course of the season and is committed to regular Saturday morning cricketing involvement.