For the love of the game

Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School in Hertfordshire loves cricket and thinks it complements academia, not hinders it

When a school has cricket on the front cover of its prospectus, it is a clear clue that they take it seriously. That is the case at Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School, in Elstree, Hertfordshire.

This is illustrated by the excellent practice facilities, with video analysis equipment, to a coaching staff topped by former Middlesex and Kent seam bowler Jamie Hewitt, to the pretty ground in front of the stately home, Aldenham House – part of the school’s 100-acre site. 

Catering for five to 18-year-olds, the school was founded by silk merchants and tailors in the 17th century. The most prominent of these was Robert Aske.

There is work and play here (how could it be any other way for a school that boasts Sacha Baron Cohen, David Baddiel and Matt Lucas among its alumni?). That is a message amplified by Stephen Charlwood, master in charge of cricket for 25 years. He ensures each summer’s fixture lists, nets, purchase of balls and anything else you can think of connected to the game run like clockwork (and he teaches maths).

Hewitt and cricket head coach Dan Kerry are following in big footsteps. Minor Counties and Devon seamer Doug Yeabsley was a legend here from 1964–2013, while both his sons, Michael (formerly a teacher and cricket coach at Habs, after playing for Cambridge University, now housemaster at Aldenham School) and Richard (Oxford University and Middlesex) were pupils.

Also among the school’s old boys are Roger Moulding (six blues for Oxford between 1978 and 1983) and Dean Wilson, cricket correspondent of the Daily Mirror. Gavin Baker, who just pipped Dean as the school’s leading run-scorer, was briefly contracted to Northamptonshire CCC. Tom Edrich (grandson of Bill) was captain in 2010 and 2011.

The school has strong links with local club Radlett CC, plus their own old boys’ club, Old Haberdashers. It has been on some wonderful tours, to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, Dubai and Sri Lanka over the years.

The indoor cricket nets, called the Solai Cricket Centre, are upstairs in the multi-sport Medburn Centre. It is run by director of sport Ryan McIntosh.

Everyone here seems steeped in cricket…

The match

The Cricketer was in attendance for the annual visit of the Fraser Bird XI; always near the end of term, it is one of the school’s most eagerly awaited matches.

Bird was a “great man of cricket” describes Charlwood; he was 2nd XI wicketkeeper at Kent, understudying three England stumpers, Les Ames, Godfrey Evans and Hopper Levett, before becoming the county’s president.

Although he was not an old boy (instead he was an Harrovian) he joined the Haberdashers company, acting for a while as chairman of the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Elstree Governors – during that time the school’s main cricket pavilion was built. There is a plaque under a nearby willow tree named after him.

Some notable players have featured in this fixture, including Jack Young (Middlesex and England) and Hugh Bartlett (Surrey, Sussex and England), Geoff Howarth, Alan Butcher, Harry Latchman, Gareth Berg and Hewitt.

The fixture started on July 24 1963 – the school won that one in the last over. Nick Fielden is captain, and the long-standing manager is Geoffrey Wheal.

This summer’s match was not the closest. The visitors – all old boys of the school – struggled to 157 all out. Former pupil Charlie Mack batted well for his 44, and Anthony Plaskow chipped in with 35, but the Habs Boys off-spinners revelled in the dry conditions – Saihaj Singh recorded figures of 13.4-5-37-6 (his best for the 1st XI), and Saavan Shah (13-2-59-1) bowled well in tandem with him.

Opener Vinosh Jegatheesan then showed composure and maturity for an unbeaten 77, his highest score for the school, helping them to a six-wicket win, despite the fine bowling of slow left-armer Shaniel Lakhani. “I am really thrilled,” Jegatheesan said. “It was hard out there, the ball was turning a lot. I had to hold my composure and look for the singles. I have been having one-on-one coaching with Dan Kerry, how to look for the gaps against the spinners and so on. He is a good spinner himself, and I couldn’t have done it without him. I am in the lower sixth so I have one more year here – I would definitely like to be captain.”

Current skipper Naresh Rasakulasuriar said: “It was not the typical flat Habs wicket. There was slow turn and bounce, with a couple that popped up. Vinosh batted so well, a very good innings. He did not play rash shots, he was just patient.”

Fielden said: “I would like to have set 210. Another 50 runs to get and it would have been tough for the school. We were surprised by how dry it was. The two off-spinners bowled really well. We will have to try and take our revenge next year as we haven’t won many of these recently. We will have to think carefully as a selection panel!”

The victory was welcome as it has been a mixed season for the school. They played 19, won eight, lost seven and drew four. The highlight was a thrilling win over Watford Grammar School for Boys, and an entertaining tour of Devon (two wins, two defeats).

“We’ve had a mixture of good and bad this season,” said Rasakulasuriar. “I was thrilled when my vice-captain, Freddie Wright, scored his maiden ton last week, 125 not out v Old Habs. It was a brilliant innings, with shots all around the park. The Watford Grammar win was also thrilling as it was such a tight game. Aril Pandya and Saavan Shah batted well in that one.”

Stephen Charlwood (head of cricket)

If his nickname is not ‘the man who makes it happen’, it should be. He is Habs Boys’ equivalent of England’s operations manager, Phil Neale.

Charlwood joined the staff in 1989 and is now nearing the end of his 29th year; he has been in charge of organising cricket since 1994. 

“I like to think the logistics wouldn’t happen without me – fixtures, umpires, catering, travel… I’ve also coached and umpired, but my main job is to ensure that the whole show runs smoothly.

“Habs offers a great opportunity to play team sports at a good level. Among the schools we play are Merchant Taylors’, St Albans, Bancrofts, Haileybury, Magdalen College, Berkhamsted, Forest School and Felsted. Our seasons always culminate with the eagerly anticipated Devon tour. Our junior teams (three in each age group and could put out more) have enjoyed considerable success at county level and represented Hertfordshire in national competitions.

“The overseas tours are a real plus. We used to go abroad at Christmas and New Year to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia thanks to the fund-raising efforts of Doug Yeabsley, but now we make use of the two-week October half-term. We have enjoyed tremendous trips to Sri Lanka, the latest in 2017. Habs old boys who have been on previous tours themselves have often supported more recent tours financially. These tours are the highlight of school careers.

“Our school has spent £18m on sport in four years. The boys like their cricket, but also want to achieve top grades. We think cricket (indeed any sport) helps academic studies. Our cricketers train through the year and play matches in the summer term, but they must also work hard at academic studies. Time management is key. If they are organised, they tend to do well in cricket and academically. Cricketers at Habs appear to have it right as the average grades for boys who play cricket is something like two A-stars and an A.”

Dan Kerry (head of cricket)

He has been at the school since 2009, and was a prominent player with Winchmore Hill and the MCC Young Cricketers. He also played for Middlesex 2nd XI. “Winning is not as important as how my teams play,” he says. “I would rather they play well and lose, than play badly and win. I cannot fault the boys for their preparation – they have put in a lot of hard work batting, bowling and fielding. But sometimes the modern youngster needs to show greater application when out in the middle. If something is easy it is not worth having. Sometimes a batsman will play three great shots for four and then think their work is done and they will get out. Sometimes they need to grind out an ugly 50 not out.”

Kerry thinks schools are playing too many formats. “I’d like to see more two-day games and T20, and less in the middle – we play 20, 30, 35, 40, 45 and 50 overs. A programme of predominately two-day and T20 cricket would give us real structure.”

James Hewitt (cricket professional)

The seamer who took 170 first-class wickets at 29 for Middlesex and Kent has been cricket professional here for five years. He played for Middlesex for eight years, alongside Mike Gatting, Angus Fraser, Mark Ramprakash and Phil Tufnell; then had two years at Kent.

He told us: “Cricket is comfortably the No.1 sport here. Other sports are important, but the amount of cricket played here puts it on top. The school is popular with the South Asian community – we are academically and cricket-driven. There are bright lads and sometimes it is difficult to convince them to pursue cricket rather than become a doctor or lawyer, but either way you can come here for 10 years of quality cricket.

He picks out year-seven duo Jay Madan and Tom Fielden as ones to watch, as well as Niyam Shah (under-13s) who scored 110 not out in the county cup final (T20). Higher up the school, and playing against the Fraser Bird XI, Hewitt nominates Joe Granger, who is 15.