U15s are county champions following ‘extraordinary’ QE cricket season
The U15 cricket team have been crowned county champions after beating Harrow School in the thrilling final of the Middlesex cup competition.
The squad also made QE history with a victory over Ipswich School in the regional knockout stage of the national championship.
Their successes came as two other QE sides reached their respective Middlesex finals – the first time in many years that the School has enjoyed such a level of success in the county.
Headmaster Neil Enright said: “Huge congratulations to the U15 boys on becoming champions. I was particularly proud to watch them playing so well on the sunny Philathletic in Harrow against the backdrop of my alma mater, The John Lyon School.”
Led by captain Krish Deebak and coached by the PE department’s Richard Scally, the U15s first defeated Merchant Taylors’ in a tense semi-final, before overcoming Harrow in a match that went down to the last over. QE’s 130 for 9 gave them victory by one wicket over Harrow, on 129 for 6.
After victory by four wickets over Ipswich in round 1 of the national cup, they faced another East Anglian independent school – Norwich – in the quarter-final. They lost by a single run following a somewhat controversial umpiring decision.
The U15s also enjoyed a successful West Country tour, beating The King’s School, Worcester; Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Gloucester; and Pate’s Grammar School, Cheltenham, on successive days.
Having swept aside all opposition in the earlier rounds, the U13s and U12s were beaten by St Benedict’s and Hampton School in their respective finals.
Head of Cricket Guy Ashby said: “The 2025 cricket season has been nothing short of extraordinary.”
There was a boost for the cricketers at the start of the season, when a donation from The Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s charity enabled the purchase of new cricket covers for the top square. The benefits of this investment were almost immediately realised: the new covers enabled more matches to be played and ensured the pitches remained in top condition throughout the term.
Against the background of a growing culture of excellence among the School’s players, there have been a record-breaking number of matches – more than 100, across 21 teams drawn from all age groups.
“Those statistics reflect the great enthusiasm for the game that exists here, and the strength in depth that we enjoy as a cricketing school,” said Mr Ashby.
The cup finals came near the end of a term which had, in fact, been punctuated by a string of exciting victories, he added.