"Responsibility" to produce county pros drives Lancing College ethos

Sussex school's alumni include Mason Crane and Alice Capsey

Lancing College believe they have a "responsibility" to produce professional cricketers from their programme. 

The school's director of cricket, Raj Maru, said: "We all have a responsibility as cricket coaches and schools in this country to provide our national team with cricketers.

"In first-class counties, 75% of professional cricketers come from the independent structure because with the facilities, the coaching structure and the fixtures they play, they're the ones who get the most opportunities to come through and play. So it is that responsibility we have to try and provide that for our national team to play Test cricket."

It is hard to argue with the school's recent results as Glamorgan leg-spinner Mason Crane and England batter Alice Capsey have both graduated from Lancing's cricket programme since Maru started at the school 16 years ago. 

Both cases revealed how Lancing helps nurture and support their more talented players by exposing them to the highest level possible while they are at the school. 

On Crane, Maru, said: "We used to work two to three times a week in the winter together. He then went on a cricket tour at Easter to South Africa with the seniors while still in third form (year nine) and he was our best bowler on tour."

While Capsey came to the school on a sports scholarship via Lancing's Prep School Academy. "On her 1st XI debut against Tiffin School, she kept wicket for the first hour, she bowled off-spin and got three wickets for nothing and then she batted at No.4 and got 30 to win us the game," he said.

Despite the high academic expectations and Saturday school at Lancing, they maintain the traditional culture of cricket by ensuring their players are still exposed to plenty of cricket. 

Maru explained: "The culture of cricket in the independent sector has been massive and the expectation was in the old days that the first team would play all-day cricket on a Saturday and then short form midweek, followed up with festival or Cricket Week which would be four days of cricket."