Prep School
The Prep School are nearing the end of their fixture programme but things are not slowing down at all!
Last Friday a number of teams played matches against Exeter. The U11 boys put on a vastly improved performance with consistent bowling and precision in the field. An opening stand of 50 between Ibrahim and Benjamin helped give the boys innings a foundation and ensured that the match was competitive until the end.
The girls travelled away and in some tough encounters, the teams represented the school impeccably. They continuously demonstrated the school’s values and modelled incredible teamwork and sportsmanship. Even though the girls competed against larger teams, this did not diminish their positive attitude and hard work during the match. The girls continued to work hard on their bowling skills, communicated well as fielders and showed confidence to take risks in the game to gain more runs.
On Monday, the mighty Year 3 and 4 teams put on a great show against West Buckland. Mr Wilde’s team displayed some great cricket in what turned out to be a tight game. Mrs Gents and Miss Steven’s teams bowled well but needed more work on their batting. Finally, Mr Knight’s and Mr Cooling’s groups mixed up with West Buckland for some enjoyable matches.
Wednesday Sherborne came over for some really lovely games. Some of the boys playing their first hardball matches performed positively and played with focus and determination throughout. With great displays of bowling from Harry H and Alex in the hardball match The girls had just one team playing but some positive bowling by the team led to a number of wickets to be proud of.
Swimming Gala
On Tuesday, Queen’s hosted the annual Primary school gala. Weston Zoyland, Parkfield, Bishop Hendersen and St George’s joined a Queen’s A and Queen’s 1 team for an exciting couple of hours which saw some fine performances and amazing resilience from swimmers who had not swum in a gala before.
It was notable the number of Taunton Deane swimmers present and certainly the female teams from all the Primaries were very strong.
Impressive performances from Ibrahim, Mitch and Ben who took away individual medals in their final races and to Parkfield who won the Primary trophy.
Senior School
Athletics
On Saturday, 14 of our athletes represented Taunton Area in the County Athletics Championships at Yeovil Athletics Arena.
A wonderful day of athletics with many of our athletes achieving a top three podium finish. Congratulations to Kamto, Ollie J (not in picture), Oli H, Megan, Evvie, Alaaddin, Maddie (not in picture), Franky and Issy for their achievements.
Congratulations must also go to Yas, Harrison, Caspar and Alfie who were crowned County Champions in their events and an extra special congratulations to Caspar, Alfie, Harrison and Jacky for being selected to represent Somerset at the South West Championships in Exeter, to be held next Saturday.
Tennis
On Saturday the Senior Boys squad hosted King’s whilst the Senior and Inter girls travelled away to King’s. All teams performed extremely well in competitive matches securing some exceptional wins and narrow losses.
Cricket
U12 vs. Plymouth College
The Queen’s College U12 Cricket Team secured a thrilling victory over Plymouth College in a closely contested match, emerging victorious by 16 runs with a final score of 277 to 261.
Bowling Highlights: Tom continued his fine streak of form, delivering an outstanding bowling performance and taking 4 crucial wickets, significantly hindering Plymouth College’s batting lineup. Luis added to his own impressive run of form by taking 3 wickets, showcasing his consistency and skill. Ollie also made his mark, securing his double of the season with a vital wicket.
Batting Highlights: Queen’s batting was critical to their success. Livi made a notable contribution by scoring 9 runs off 7 balls in a key partnership with Charlotte, bolstering the team’s total. Ollie and Eliza paired up for an aggressive run display, adding 11 runs to the scoreboard and maintaining the team’s momentum.
Fielding Excellence: The fielder of the match award, as chosen by Captain Ollie, was given to Livi for her pinpoint wicket accuracy, which played a significant role in the team’s defensive efforts. Tom was also recognized for his batting prowess, contributing essential runs and demonstrating excellent technique.
The match showcased a brilliant win and a commendable team attitude from Queen’s College. Each player contributed to the victory, highlighting the team’s collective effort and determination. The players’ ability to perform under pressure and support each other on the field was instrumental in securing this well-deserved win.
1st XI v King’s College
The Girls First XI have experienced the most disruption so far this season. Their opponents withdrew again this week, yet fortunately, King’s College were able to bring a team across town to keep the game on. It turned into two matches of 10 overs per side. Queen’s were bowled out for 38 in a one-sided defeat, but fared much better in the second contest. King’s hit 79/2 in their 10 overs with Claire responsible for two quality run outs, and Megan the pick of our 9 bowlers conceding just 4 runs. Emily struck 23 runs off 13 balls to get our chase off to a great start. Both Evvie and Emily struck sixes in their innings, but from 55/2 after 7 overs we fell away to 68/6 and just 11 runs short of levelling the fixture.
First XI v Plymouth
The first team had a great opportunity to get on the board in a 40-over match against Plymouth College. This is where players are listed for hitting hundreds or taking 5 wicket hauls at home while representing Queen’s College First XI. Sadly, the day panned out without a century or 5-for between them. Queen’s team were bowled out for 90 lacking the patience or preparation to get stuck in. Hopefully the team’s next outing will prove a welcome relief from exam term pressures and we can resume enjoying the talent in our line up. Plymouth knocked off the total 4 down in the 13th over.
U12A v Sherborne U13B
The bus was rocking on the way to Sherborne as this squad appeared to be enjoying their time together on and off the pitch. From ball one Nick collected the ball on the move at point-handed and a strong throw-in showed Queen’s had arrived with gusto.
Tom threatened with pace and swing and Oli was a safe pair of hands behind the stumps. His wicket-keeping proved a significant run-saver compared to our opponents. Everyone got a bowl and played their part with some wise encouragement in the field too. Wickets were taken by Tom, Charlotte, Nick and Fortune claiming 4 wickets for 8 runs at the end which reduced Sherborne to 98/8 off their 20. The batting reply hit 50 in 11 overs for the loss of just 2 wickets. Highlights included Ben finding the boundary with a hard-hitting pull, also Oli repeatedly smashing the ball straight, and Tom showing respect to their threatening leg spinner. The biggest positive might have been the bravery and discipline shown towards their quick left-armer. Claudiu occupied the crease comfortably but others came in under pressure to score more quickly and if it wasn’t for the four run-outs in our innings we could have found ourselves victorious. We finished 18 runs short, but in what was a gold-standard school fixture. Both sides gave everyone a bowl, nearly everyone batted and either side could have won the game. It ebbed and flowed and finished very positively with more input towards learning to win. Backing up, and judging a run with loud calls while following the game situation would really help us. This will be tested again in Saturday’s triangular at home.
