The final days of term brought two opportunities for QE’s cricketers to play against top opposition from two different continents on home territory.
First, the élite academy squad from Sri Lanka’s Mercantile Cricket Association, pictured above, played the First XI. This was a warm-up 25-over game for the visitors ahead of the inaugural International Council of Cricket Academies Global Junior Cricket Championship at Worksop College, an independent school in Nottinghamshire.
Their side included players from Royal College, Colombo, which is one of the venues visited by QE touring parties on past sports tours to Sri Lanka.
Also en route to the ICCA championship were the American players from the Major League Cricket Academy based on the US East Coast, who took on the Second XI.
Head of Cricket Richard Scally said: “Having two high-calibre sides to play was a great way to see out the term, and although our sides had mixed fortunes, I have no doubt that both will have gained from the experience.
“And who knows? There may even be a return leg against the Sri Lankans if we go on tour there again in the future.”
The game against the Sri Lankans could hardly have been closer: it ended in a tie, with Year 12’s Divyesh Bansal QE’s best bowler, taking 3 wickets for 2 runs off 4 overs.
The Second XI fell short in their game, being bowled out some way off the target set by the Americans of 188 from 25 overs.
Mr Scally said it had nevertheless been a great opportunity to introduce Year 10’s Ved Nair, Daksh Vinnakota and Krutarth Behera to senior cricket. Ved recorded figures of 30-2 off 5 overs.
The two visiting sides went on to face teams from countries including India, Zimbabwe and UAE in Nottinghamshire. They also came up against each other during the championship, with the Americans winning by 16 runs.