Earlston High School bag a huge boost

At the beginning of this current school year, there was only the glint in Earlston High School English teacher Jamie Bryson’s eye of a cricket club forming at the school. But this vision has, with remarkable speed, sprung into life and taken shape beyond even Jamie’s early hopes.

Indeed, the club, which meets every Thursday in the new school’s Games Hall, has seen numbers attending rarely dipping below 16. But recently, the club gained funding to buy a mat to go with the indoor nets in the Games Hall and, as the picture above shows, was awarded a full bag of equipment by cricket charity Lords Taverners.

"Cricket has captured the imagination of the school," said Jamie Bryson (pictured second from the left): "I am absolutely delighted with how not only the boys but also the local community have come to support the club. The matting supplied by the local cricket development group and a further one from funding through our Active Schools Co-ordinator Marianne O’Brien helped us immensely. However, the arrival of the Lord Taverners cricket bag at the beginning of the year means that the players can now practice cricket properly."

Most weeks, Jamie is supported by Borders Modern Cricket Apprentices Ross Patterson and Graeme Ormiston (pictured far left and far-right) and Stuart McKay (second right) from Melrose Cricket Club. They have been putting the players through a series of coaching sessions to hone and develop their cricketing skills.

This has been a challenge in itself since most of the players, although inspired to join the club by Jamie Bryson’s enthusiasm for the game, are not familiar with it. However, such has been the success of the venture that Earlston High School will host the first Borders Secondary Schools Indoor Cricket Tournament on March 26.

Local Cricket Development Officer Neil Cameron adds: "These developments involving Earlston High School and Melrose Cricket Club are just the shot in the arm that the local club needed, having struggled to attract new members in recent times. They are a great example of how school-club links can be so positive for sustaining cricket locally. Actually, I am absolutely blown away by this and the example that it can be for all Border cricket clubs."

In addition to the first Borders Schools Indoor Cricket Tournament, the fourth outdoor event will be on Friday June 4 at the Berwickshire High School in Duns. For other primary and secondary school events in the Borders in 2010, keep an eye on this website or contact Neil Cameron on www.cricketscotland.com.

NOTE: You can find out how the Lords Taverners can help school and cricket club by clicking here - and  please note that all applications must be supported by your local Cricket Development Officer.