MILL HILL AND BELMONT SCHOOLS UNVEILED AS NEW HOME OF MIDDLESEX WOMEN AND GIRLS’ CRICKET IN INNOVATIVE NEW PARTNERSHIP
Middlesex Cricket today unveiled an innovative partnership with The Mill Hill School Foundation, which will see the Middlesex Women and Girls’ sides playing the majority of their home matches at Mill Hill and Belmont Schools in North London from this season onwards.
With Middlesex Women making their inaugural appearance on the main square at Lord’s just last week, this announcement comes at an exciting time for the club’s Women’s and Girls’ sides, with them now also benefitting from the exceptional training, practice and match-day facilities that the schools provide, in over 150 acres of grounds in North London, just a short distance from the club’s home in St John’s Wood.
Middlesex Women played two of their Royal London County Championship matches at the School in 2017, and this new partnership will, for the first time, provide them with a regular ground to call home outside of Lord’s, offering them greater stability and some familiar surroundings for their future home matches.
Aside from the obvious benefits to the club, the partnership will also have considerable benefit to the Schools, whose pupils will be looking forward to working more closely with the Middlesex Women and Girls. Belmont School now focusses on cricket as a summer sport within their curriculum and it is hoped that the partnership with Middlesex will provide a clearer pathway for their cricketing students to develop their games.
Danni Warren, Middlesex’s Head of Women’s Cricket said…
“This partnership with Mill Hill Foundation brings so many benefits to Middlesex Women and Girls’ cricket. From fantastic pitches and training facilities at Mill Hill School and Belmont School for our players, to a real opportunity for us to influence another generation of players coming through. We are looking forward to working with both Schools, and the wider Foundation, to increase the awareness and quality of cricket right across the pathway in Middlesex.”
Frances King, Head of Mill Hill School and CEO of the Mill Hill School Foundation commented…
“We are delighted to be entering into a partnership with Middlesex. This will provide a wonderful opportunity for our pupils, especially our girls, to benefit whilst providing wider outreach opportunities for both parties to attract a wider selection of girls to cricket”
Leon Roberts, Head of Belmont Mill Prep School said…
“Having introduced cricket as a major sport for girls at Belmont in the Summer of 2017, the sport has just taken off. Girls are now playing cricket with the boys during lunchtimes and greater numbers of schools are following suit and moving from Rounders to Cricket as the main summer sport for girls. The partnership with Middlesex will help us to take girls’ cricket to the next level. It will make a huge difference to both the Belmont girls and boys, who will be inspired by the Middlesex players and coaches. I hope the children will be so motivated by our special link that Belmont will be able to produce even more quality boy and girl cricketers to represent Middlesex in the future”
Hannah, a year six pupil, who also plays for Middlesex’s Under 11’s girls’ side added…
“I started playing cricket when I was three in the back garden. Two years later, I started playing for a club! Now I am in Year 6 and it is my fourth year in a row playing for Middlesex CCC Under 11’s. I can’t stress too much I enjoy playing cricket. I am so thankful for the opportunity to play cricket with both boys and girls. I am really proud of the opportunities that I have been given, such as when I was a flag bearer for the Women’s World Cup Final at Lord’s!”
