St Michael’s Preparatory School’s new cricket facility will play host to an exciting first match on Saturday 1st May 2021.
The Oscar Maclean Pavilion will be officially opened by Jersey’s Lieutenant Governor, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton before the School’s First XI take on the Jersey Women’s XI (Lionesses) in a charity cricket match.
The new Pavilion has been fondly named after Oscar Maclean, a former pupil of St Michael’s, and will serve two new sporting facilities. The new international standard Hockey Astro pitch, due to be constructed later this year, will also benefit from the state-of-the-art Club House, complete with changing rooms, catering facilities and viewing gallery.
The charity cricket match will get underway at 09.30, raising money for Lord’s Taverner’s Jersey, the local branch of the UK’s leading youth sporting charity, which is working to provide community cricket programmes in Jersey, to give young disabled and disadvantaged islanders sporting opportunities.
Mike Rees, St Michael’s Preparatory School Headmaster said, “It made sense to include this fantastic charity in the opening of our new pavilion and cricket oval and I’d like to think that we’d see some of those cricketers afforded an opportunity by Lord’s Taverners, playing on this ground. While this is a fantastic facility for the boys and girls of St. Michael’s, we welcome a wider community use.”
Aaron Labey, Co-Chair of Lord’s Taverners Jersey said, “We are thrilled to be working with St Michael’s to open their new cricket pitch and to help change the lives of young people in Jersey. “Our new partnership is the first of its kind for Lord’s Taverners in Jersey – the opening of the school’s new pitch not only signifies the school’s support for developing sporting opportunities for young people, but its involvement with our charity shows their commitment to support the ‘sport for all’ initiative.”
The charity will be working alongside Jersey Cricket to run Table Cricket and Wicketz programmes in a few months’ time. It is also launching its Youth Membership scheme and on boarding its first Under 18 members this Spring, in partnership with St Michael’s Preparatory School.
Aaron continued: “We are delighted to announce our first three youth members for Lord’s Taverners are students of St Michael’s!”
Sport plays a focal point in children’s development at St Michael’s Preparatory School and cricket is one of the many activities that are incorporated into the educational experience. The school works in partnership with Chirpy’s Academy who provides extracurricular cricket after the academic day has finished. The Academy focuses on encouraging, preparing and developing junior cricketers to pursue their goals in the sport, and assist them to achieve their highest level possible; whether that is at school, club, representing Jersey or beyond.
James Caunt, Director of Cricket at Chirpy’s Academy states that: “It is fantastic to see the Oscar Maclean Pavilion facility being integrated into such a fantastic school, which will only help support the development of cricket both internally and to those in the wider community”.
Lee Maloy, Performance and Development Manager at Jersey Cricket and the Women’s Head Coach, comments: “We are delighted to be using the new cricket field at St Michael’s as a squad training base. It will be a busy Summer for the Women’s national squad with T20 international fixtures planned. As the girls and women’s games grow in popularity the need for more top-class facilities such as the Oscar Maclean Pavilion will also increase. The new facility will benefit a huge number of junior cricketers, both male and female, in Jersey for many years to come.”
QuilterCheviot are proud sponsors of sports at St Michael’s Preparatory School. Havard Group are proud sponsors for Lord’s Taverners.
