Our independent schools have a proud tradition of cricket — and cricket grounds.Former England batsman (and Old Tonbridgian) Ed Smith picks his favourites
The excellence of the cricket grounds of England’s independent schools is a double-edged privilege. On the one hand, they are some of the most beautiful grounds on which to play and watch cricket anywhere in the country. On the other, the public schools contribute an increasingly high proportion of England’s professional cricketers. That’s great for the public schools; not so great for everyone else. In recent decades English sport has improved in many respects, but it’s hard to argue that meritocracy is one of them.
My dad was a teacher at Tonbridge School — had he not been, I would have gone to grammar school, as my sister did. I was doubly lucky at Tonbridge. First, we lived on a house that backed on to the school playing fields and my parents had to come up with very inventive excuses or else I would have them bowling at me in the nets.
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