U12 Girls’ Eight8 Cricket Competition

Welcome to the 2025 Prep School Girls’ U12 Eight8 Cricket Competition.

Message from Noel Brett, Master i/c Cricket

A very warm welcome to players, officials, and spectators to today’s Girls’ Eight8 Cricket Tournament. I am sure that today’s competition will prove thrilling to both players and spectators. The game is based on two leagues, producing semi-finalists and a final. The teams are playing for The Plate and the Roger Tolchard Trophy. A former OM, Roger returned to Malvern College after he retired from the professional game to coach cricket and rackets.  

Cricket has been played at Malvern since 1872 and whilst the rules of the game have flexed and changed over the centuries, one thing endures – the passion for the game, whatever the season. During the winter months practice takes place indoors in our sports hall and when the weather improves, outdoors in the cricket nets. That quintessentially English sound of willow-on-ball signals the beginning of spring and a new cricket season. And who couldn’t fail to be inspired playing on our pitches with Bredon Hill and the Cotswolds to the east and the Malvern Hills to the west.  

Girls’ cricket at Malvern is thriving. Our girls are certainly inspired by the women’s professional game and the association the College has with Worcestershire Country Cricket Club (WCCC). This long-stand association benefits all pupils and has allowed us to jointly offer the 13+ Worcestershire Cricket Scholarship. The squad’s presence, during the winter months using our indoor facilities and the commitment of the squad is demonstrable and proves to be a motivational force for all our cricketers and especially the Scholars.  

We offer two amazing scholarships at 13+: The Rachael Heyhoe Flint Scholarship, exclusively for a talented female player and the 13+ Chesterton Cricket Scholarship is for the most talented cricketer. Our expectations of our scholars are that they are fully committed to sport and exercise leadership skills both on and off the field of play. We want them to be role models and above all derive as much enjoyment as they can from their chosen sport.  

I do hope you enjoy your time with us today and I invite you to stay for the prizegiving ceremony and celebrate together the beautiful game of cricket. 

Noel Brett

Master i/c Cricket

Rules

General Information
  • There are 5 sides taking part in the competition.
  • Each match will be played with a hard ball.
  • In the group stage, all teams will play each other with the winners of each match being awarded two points.
Main Competition
  • The winner and runner up in the group will progress to final of the Tolchard trophy (as per the schedule in the programme).
  • If teams are equal on points at the end of the round-robin stage, then the result of the group games will decide who goes to the final. If this does not produce finalists then the teams taking the most wickets in the group games will go through to the final.
  • If this does not produce a winner then the teams who have scored the most runs over in the group stages will go through.
Plate Competition
  • The 3rd and 4th placed teams in the group will progress to the plate final on the Senior South.
  • The same rules will apply as the main competition if schools are on the same points at the end of the group stage.
Playing Rules
  • Each school should have a maximum of 11 players in their squad.
  • Teams for each match will consist of 8 players.
  • Each match will consist of one innings per team.
  • Each innings will consist of eight six ball overs.
  • No bowler will bowl more than two overs (i.e. a minimum of four bowlers to be used).
  • There will be no fielding restrictions.
  • Pitches will be a standard length according to the age group with a minimum boundary of 35 yards.
  • Both teams should be very aware of the importance of completing the matches within the one hour allocated.
  • As a guideline, at the fall of each wicket, the next batter has a minute to reach the crease and take guard
  • There will be five minutes between innings.
  • Teams cannot substitute fielders once the match has started unless the umpires agree that a player is unable to continue through injury; however, any substitute that is used CANNOT bowl or keep wicket.
  • The wicket keeper must remain in that position throughout the innings unless the umpires agree that injury has prevented her from continuing.
  • A no-ball will result in a two run penalty but there will be no extra delivery (except in the last over).
  • A wide will result in a two run penalty but there will be no extra delivery (except in the last over); umpires will be strict and consistent in their interpretation of the law in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the stumps.
  • All matches will be played with the ball provided.
  • All batters and wicket keepers will wear the correct protective equipment including a helmet.
  • A batter must retire at 30. If all other wickets have fallen then retired batters can return in the order they batted.
  • If the scores are tied at the end of the match, then the winner will be the team:
    • (i) losing the fewest wickets
    • (ii) with the most runs after four overs, then three, two, one until a winner is identified.

 

THE SPIRIT OF CRICKET SHOULD BE UPHELD 

THROUGHOUT THE COMPETITION

Order of Play

Times Pitch 1
(Senior North)		 Pitch 2
(Senior South)
Round 1
10.00 – 11.00		 Blue Coat
vs
Pinewood		 The Downs Malvern
vs
Malvern St James
Round 2
11.00 – 12.00		 Prestfelde
vs
Blue Coat		 Pinewood
vs
Malvern St James
Round 3
12.00 – 13.00		 The Downs Malvern
vs
Prestfelde		 Blue Coat
vs
Malvern St James
Lunch 13:00 – 13:45
Round 4
13.45 – 14.45		 Pinewood
vs
The Downs Malvern		 Malvern St James
vs
Prestfelde
Round 5
14.45 – 15.45		 Blue Coat
vs
The Downs Malvern		 Pinewood
vs
Prestfelde
Final
16.00 – 17.00		 Group Winner
vs
Runner Up		 3rd Place
vs
4th Place
17.00 – 17.15 Prize Presentations 

 

Facilities

  • Visitors are asked to toilet facilities are located in The Grub.
  • Players and staff attending, please use those located in the Changing Room and the Pavilion.
  • Food & beverages will be available in The Grub for visitors.

 

Did you know?

Cricket has been played at Malvern College since 1872, with the laying of the Senior Turf. The setting, all will agree is spectacular. To the east there is Bredon Hill, the Severn Valley and the Cotswolds; to the west is the backdrop of the Malvern Hills.

A curiosity is that the outfield is a little narrower than would officially allow the scoring of sixes and despite being widened in 1978, the quirky tradition of not allowing sixes persists to this day!

Cricketers in white uniforms play on a lush green field surrounded by trees, with a scenic backdrop of gently rolling hills and a few buildings, including a large red-brick structure that stands as a testament to our heritage. The sky is bright blue with scattered clouds.
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