Mike Gatting visits Wellington

Wellington College pupils were once again treated to a special session last week when they had the opportunity to play cricket under the supervision of one of the legends of the game. The former England captain and legendary batsman Mike Gatting was in Shanghai for the third consecutive year, imparting his cricket expertise to all young potential cricketers. The Wellington U9 and U11 teams travelled to Dulwich College to compete in a mini tournament, playing in a limited overs pairs match. The competition has grown from involving just two schools to six, in the space of just three years. Mike Gatting was superb all day, offering plenty of sound advice and encouragement to the boys and girls as they played their matches. Despite only a handful of pupils having been exposed to cricket, both the U9 and U11 teams played with great spirit and hugely enjoyed the experience. The U9s managed to win two out of their four matches, while the U11s came close on several occasions but couldn’t quite muster a win. Mike Gatting came to Wellington College the following day to take a new group of year 5 to 8 pupils through a training session. Again, almost all of these pupils had never even touched a cricket bat before. Mr Gatting took them through their paces over a fantastic two-hour session, including a batting, bowling and fielding drill, as well a mini game at the end. It was superb two-day visit, enjoyed by Wellington pupils and staff alike; having this unique opportunity to spend time with one of the world’s greatest batsmen of his generation was an honour and a privilege which the College continues to enjoy with Mr Gatting’s consecutive visits.