There have been many high-profile cricketers who have hailed from Hampton throughout the 148-year history of the game there, out of an overall 466-year-old innings since it opened its doors
Hampton School's 12-months-a-year dedication to cricket proved its value very publicly on July 28, 2017, when a former pupil of the south-west London school, Toby Roland-Jones, took his first Test wicket.
South Africa's Dean Elgar was the victim, and Roland-Jones went on to take 5 for 57 – including all of the top four – and 3 for 72 in the second innings, in a 239-run win.
The Middlesex seamer, now 34, has had wretched luck with injuries, otherwise he would have played in considerably more than his four Tests, in which he has taken 17 wickets.
Another Hampton old boy, Zafar Ansari, also played three Tests for England in 2016, taking five wickets, as well as producing many fine displays for Surrey, before a legal career took him in a different direction. In fact, his CV is a great showcase for the school – excel on the field, excel off it. Which is not to say Roland-Jones won't go on to shine after cricket as well, of course.
They are the two most high-profile cricketers from the school, but there have been so many in the 148-year history of the game there, out of an overall 466-year-old innings since it opened its doors.
The head of cricket is Ami Banerjee, who played for Bengal and Guernsey. The professional is Chris Harrison, a Level 3 coach.
He runs the Hampton Cricket Academy through all three terms. It has a six-land indoor centre, and outside are seven cricket squares in a 27-acre campus. More than 190 matches a year are played each year.
Bowled him! [supplied]
The school is cricket-obsessed, and couldn’t wait to get started again after the pandemic, even extending the 2020 season into October. No wonder it has had so much success.
It reached the final and quarter-final of the National T20 in 2005 and 2010 respectively. More recently, the 1st XI made the quarter-finals of the National T20 in 2021 and the under-14s reached the semi-finals of the National Cup and final of the Middlesex Cup. The U12As also won the Middlesex Cup in 2021.
On the school's circuit are Eton, Harrow, Whitgift, St Pauls, KCS, Dulwich, Merchant Taylor, Reeds, RGS Guildford, Tiffin and MCC, and there are plans to tour Sri Lanka this winter.
"I have fond memories of Hampton School and still have many close friends from my time there," says Roland-Jones. "Saturday cricket fixtures were always the highlight of the week for me. We had a great cricket team and reached the final of the national T20 competition at Edgbaston. I also played football every break time and loved the social football on a Wednesday. I wasn’t any good but it provided a proper game every week."
He also believes that Hampton offered him an all-round platform for life: "Hampton helped me to grow and mature as a young adult, building a core of inter-personal skills that have since proved essential. As a cricketer, I developed an ability to analyse and think quickly.
"As a boy you learn that coping with pressures of education can translate into dealing with other pressures further on in life, and of course I learned there is no substitute for hard work. Appreciate the support network available at the school and utilise all aspects of it, both co-curricular and academic.
"In your sport, be fearless and be prepared to make mistakes – this is how we learn best. Remember your school days will be some of the best days of your lives, so enjoy them and make the most of all the opportunities in front of you because the time goes by so quickly. Pursue your passion and your hard work will always be rewarded, even if you have to wait a while!"
The Cricketer would like to thank Durant Cricket for their ongoing support of our schools cricket coverage. For more on Durant Cricket, including booking a site visit, please click here
Welcome to www.thecricketer.com - the online home of the world’s oldest cricket magazine. Breaking news, interviews, opinion and cricket goodness from every corner of our beautiful sport, from village green to national arena.