Cricket Pavilion Gets New Lease Of Life

On Friday 12 July we were delighted to welcome family and friends of OBMs who left donations in their wills to support cricket at BMS. Our special guests joined us to watch the annual OBM vs BMS T20 cricket tournament, which has taken place in its current format since 2013. This year we had three OBM teams returning for this popular event.

It is thanks to the generosity of Norman Swaffield (1952-58), Peter Garratt (1943-52) and Roger Tomkins (1947-52), together with gifts from other OBMs who also donated towards the refurbishment, that we have been able to renovate the outside of the Cricket Pavilion, provide two sturdy wooden benches and add to the planting surrounding it. It is by far the oldest building on the BMS site, built in 1884, and has provided the backdrop for countless sports team photos over the years. We are pleased that cricket spectators will be able to continue to enjoy watching cricket at BMS for many years to come.

Headmaster, Alex Tate said: “We feel sure that the money has been put to very good use and will benefit girls and boys alike as BMS forges ahead with the introduction of girl’s cricket. We could not be more grateful to those OBMs who have generously supported the campaign; the School would certainly not be able to support its students in the way it does without their help. I do hope that those OBMs who are no longer with us would wholeheartedly approve of the super job which has been done and thanks to a plaque in their memory they will never be forgotten.”

We were pleased to see more OBMs than ever at the event with more than 90 people in attendance, including family and friends. There was some exceptional skill on show and the scores were close, but the 2014 Leavers team, captained by Nishanth Narayanan (2003-14), won overall taking the Chinneck Trophy for 2019. The Millman Cup was presented to Year 9 student Jake Tarling for his exceptional play during the tournament.