Our Heads of Sport reflect on a super summer of cricket, athletics and tennis
Boys' Cricket, Sports Day and Colours by Mr Hanley
The second half of the term is always a bit quieter in terms of fixtures, with so much happening in all schools towards the end of the academic year. This being said, we did manage to play a number of high quality matches and had a lot of success across the board, which is a brilliant way to end the year.
Cricket
This term we have played almost 100 cricket matches, not including tournaments! My grateful thanks to all the games staff for enabling this to happen and for ensuring that all our pupils have lots of opportunities to contribute, build their skills and feel 100% part of their team.
This year we have won approximately 70% of our fixtures, which is an excellent statistic considering that we play against some really strong cricketing schools. It's always lovely to have a good win record but success can be judged in more than just our number of wins. Success for me is...
- lots of smiling faces
- progression across all the age groups
- the HUGE number of children who are eager and excited to represent their school
The school has a real buzz about it in the cricket season with the nets full at every break time and the constant clatter of cricket bags. For me, this is what drives the success of Westbourne House.
Since half term, our senior teams have racked up lots of wins, particularly our 3rd and 4th teams, who have proven too strong for a number of their opponents. However, special mentions go to two teams with unbeaten seasons: the U11Bs, led superbly by Mr Perry in his debut cricket season for Westbourne House, and to the U9Bs, led equally well by Mr Smith. It would be fair to say that Mr Perry and Mr Smith are at opposing ends of their teaching careers, but they both were equally proud and excited by their teams' performances this term. Mr Smith's hunger for success is still very much there! Well done to the squads of boys in these teams!
The cricket term always finishes with two cricketing spectacles. Firstly, the 1st XI match against Cornwall Hill from Pretoria, South Africa. This year it gives me great pleasure to say we were just a bit too good on the day and our 1st XI won by a very comfortable seven wickets. This day is not all about the cricket, though. It is an opportunity for our boys to host their Cornwall Hill peers and make new friendships and memories. It showcases Westbourne House at its best and this year was no exception.
Our second spectacle was our Leavers vs Parents match. After some effective cricket by the dads, the boys couldn't quite get over the line, seeing the dads win by five runs. Again, this was a lovely afternoon of cricket where the result plays second fiddle to the experience.
Sports Days
Our Sports Days were, as ever, huge successes, brimming with fantastic atmosphere and enjoyment. The Senior Sports Day, although rescheduled, was a triumph, boasting an incredible 51 personal bests! It was a nail-biting finish, with the Tigers clinching victory by just three points over the Panthers. The rumour mill suggests that a certain Sophia W may have sealed the win after bravely competing in the open 1500m race as the only Year 5 girl. Her Personal Best in that event secured enough points to push the Tigers over the finish line. This truly highlights the importance of everyone giving their all – every effort, no matter how small it seems, can make a significant difference!
Junior Sports Day was equally as successful, perfectly blending the fun and excitement of the egg and spoon and dress-up races with the competitive edge of field events like high jump, javelin, long jump, and the 75m sprint. A huge well done to the Owls who won this event, though the Panthers were once again hot on their heels, just a few points behind.
Congratulations and goodbyes
At this time of year, we say goodbye to all our Year 8 pupils. To them, I send this message:
Year 8! You have been such fun to teach over the years and have worked hard to reach this point. It hasn't always been plain sailing, but you have all shown such diligence and a love for what you do and it has been a pleasure to be part of your journey. I hope you all leave us with a love for some (if not all) sport and look to pursue those in the next chapter of your lives.
Congratulations go to the following leavers who have achieved colours in sport this term. As a result of all their hard work and excellence over the past year, a special congratulations goes to Rocco M and Hettie B who have been awarded their 5 and 4 colour ties in sport.
CRICKET | RACKETS | ATHLETICS | FIVE & FOUR COLOURS |
|---|---|---|---|
Rocco M Wilf R Teddy G Freddy C Freddie T Vivien O'S Hetty B Arabella B Darcey K | Vivien O'S Freddie W Monty F Rocco M Sam S | Hettie B Ollie O Hazel B Rocco M Freddie W Lily-Rose N | Hetty B Rocco M |
Mrs Cook with some thank yous, cricket and athletics news
What a glorious finish to the school year for sports at Westbourne House! With beautiful weather (bar that one rescheduled sports day!), a packed schedule of fixtures and tournaments, and the return of the much-loved water rounders during the scorching heatwave, it has been a truly memorable term.
Cricket
It has been a very successful season for girls cricket and this term has been brimming with notable achievements.
- Our Colts teams achieved a win rate of 85%
- The Colts A team emerged victorious at the Lancing cricket tournament, with EJ A stealing the show and bringing home an impressive new cricket bat as Player of the Tournament. The Colts A continued their winning streak, triumphing at the prestigious IAPS cricket tournament at West Hill Park.
- The Colts D team played six matches and won six! Our Colts B and C teams were almost unbeaten... with one loss each.
- Our U9As won all their matches in the second half of term.
Athletics
The Hurst Athletics Competitions provided wonderful afternoons of track and field. Well done to everyone who took part and reached those brilliant PBs!
A fantastic 32 students, from Year 6-8, competed at the K2 athletics event. Each of them had met the tough minimum standards set by the Sussex Association of Prep School Athletics. After a very successful day, 17 students earned their spot in the national finals!
In the last week of term, these 17 children headed to the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham to compete in the Athletics Prep School National Finals - a truly impressive number for such a prestigious competition. It was a fantastic experience for the children to compete in a stadium amongst some of the best young national talent. As well as competing, they enjoyed spectating and witnessing some incredible athletics, including a Year 8 boy clearing an incredible 1.75m on the high jump!
Everyone gave their all on the day. Congratulations to Loftus, who came third in the discus. Our U12 and U13 boys relay teams and our U13 girls relay team all finished in the top 10 and we know how much promise all of our children show...roll on next year!
Girls' Leavers' Match
We had the biggest girls' cricket game yet at the truly wonderful Leavers' Match, which created an absolutely fantastic atmosphere. The parents fought hard, but with nine wickets, the daughters managed to clinch a well-deserved win.
It was a proud moment to hear murmurs from parents saying, "I'm actually a bit nervous," after witnessing the impressive level of play. The girls have really enjoyed and benefitted from coaching from Mr Smith this year - and it is plain to see that he is a beloved coach by one and all.
A huge thank you to all the parents for making it such a fun and memorable final fixture for the girls. We are sure it’s an experience they won't forget and what a way to end their time at Westbourne House!
To our Year 8s: best of luck at your next schools and we truly hope you continue to enjoy playing sport, whether for fun at a social level or for the thrill of competitive fixtures.
Thank you
It has been truly wonderful to see everyone in such good spirits throughout what is often a favourite term for many.
First and foremost, a huge thank you to all the girls for their incredible enthusiasm, not just for their cricket fixtures and athletics tournaments, but also for consistently showing kindness and being graceful winners. Your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed and the progress seen across all year groups this year has been truly impressive. You should all be incredibly proud of yourselves!
To our Years 3-7 students, we eagerly look forward to seeing what you achieve next term and, indeed, next summer.
A special shout-out must also go to the dedicated staff who have given their unwavering efforts to make every afternoon and training session fun and memorable. Their commitment truly makes a difference.
