Cricket Qustion

[carolegif]

Is it an elitist sport in this country? How many of the English cricket team went to a local comprehensive rather than a fee paying school?

[boxtops]

I know what you mean - not many state schools round here have a cricket team.

[jno]

five state schoolboys: Root, Bresnan, Tremlett, Anderson and (the now retired spinner) Swann

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/08/01/ashes-2013-cricket-players-privately-educated_n_3687757.html

One reason I suspect is that cricket is no longer on terrestrial TV.

[jno]

that was the series last summer. Add Carberry to the list. Don't know about Stokes (immigrated when he was 12) or Borthwick.

[Buenchico]

When I was running the city teams in Sheffield (back in the late 1980s) hardly any players nominated by the local independent schools were ever good enough for the city (or county teams). Nearly all of the best players attended local comprehensive schools. They included our Under-15 captain, Michael Vaughan, who was a pupil at Silverdale (Comprehensive) School.

However it's fair to say that the best players usually came from families where there was considerable involvement with local club sides, who got youngsters involved with coaching, and playing competitively, from a very early age.

[Ellipsis]

Cricket is not elitist but, alongside a general degradation in school sport, is not played as much at state schools as it used to be. Fee paying schools continue to play a lot of cricket, so it would make sense if they had a disproportionate representation in the national side.

However, many towns and villages have thriving leagues, e.g. I live in a town but my kids play for a local village side that has four adult teams and about nine junior teams.

[carolegif]

I suppose the lack of competitive sport has made a difference. My grandchildren have to play for a 'team', and personal triumph is not encouraged.
My grandson who is 11 was actually reprimanded for being 'triumphalist' when he raised his arm in the air after winning a race he did not think he would win! Luckily the footsie team he pays for are quite happy for him to celebrate a little if he saves a goal or two!

[heathfield]

Whilst in the army, I'd see officers take to the field for games of cricket. There was always one ordinary soldier included in the team. How democratic! But guess who invariably had the job of collecting all the gear for these games?

[FredPuli43]

Depends on local culture and amenities. Rugby players in Wales are state educated because rugby is part of life there. In England they are often the product of public schools, where everybody has to play the game, but few soccer players in England come from those. Sheffield and the rest of Yorkshire, has cricket as part of life and it follows that state educated boys are well represented..

[dave1948]

Cricket was becoming more and more elite from the late 70s.

I ran a very good team (in a comp) then . We won lots of local competitions but could not find a team ever to beat the independent schools with their professional (full-time)coaches