Exceptional Talent- (6) Bablake Cricket

For the final part of our series on pupils with exceptional sporting talent, on the day that - bar one of those wonderful cricketing miracles that makes the game so appealing - it looks likely England will regain the Ashes from Australia at Trent Bridge, it seems fitting to concentrate on some of Bablake's outstanding cricketing performances last term.

For new professional coach Nick James and Master i/c Cricket Mr Andrew Phillips (Boys' PE), the 2015 season, certainly at 1st XI level, was always going to be one of growth and preparing for a strong 2016.

Once again though, from our Junior School through to the 1st XI, we have seen the real benefits of our cricketing scholarships as there are a number of excellent players who play out of their skin and out of their age group regularly for school, club or county. No-one epitomises this more than Daniel Mousley, who, as our U14 captain, has played regular U15 county cricket and performed excellently for our 1st XI with both bat and ball. He even had the 'cheek' to take a catch worthy of a Ben Stokes or Joe Root in the annual Bablake Lions 1st XI fixture diving at wide square leg to help dismiss our coach second ball!

This week's focus on exceptional sporting talent also allows praise for Ross Parnell and Oliver Pemble, centurions for the 1st XI and U12s respectively. Ross, 1st XI captain and school senior prefect, hit 104 not out late in the season against the MCC - a phenomenal achievement - while Oliver's 100 not out came against Mid-Glamorgan, a tough new addition to our fixture list. Ross has been Bablake's 'Mr Cricket' for a number of years impressing with both bat and ball of course.

Centuries were common this season for former pupils too: e.g. Mark Best has been a regular centurion for his university side, Loughborough MCCU, and Berkswell 1sts, while Matt Clements, being coached by Old Wheat Graham Charlesworth, hit a fine 164 for Oxford University's 2nds.