Saturday 21st June - Thursday 26th June
For the third year running, the Ruth Strauss Foundation Cricket Week will be hosted on the Upper at Sherborne School.
The final week of June will see Sherborne School host its third annual Ruth Strauss Foundation Cricket Week, with a fundraising target of £5,000 for this wonderful charity. Alongside some thirty matches in five days, there will be a prize draw, sales of souvenir brochures and prints, a whole-school non-uniform day, and sponsorships from local businesses – all raising money to support research and bereavement counselling for families affected by cancer.
The week begins with four matches against Blundell’s School on Saturday 21st June, followed on Sunday by the 1st XI’s declaration game against the Sherborne Pilgrims. On Monday, it will be the turn of the Junior Colts sides before the 1st XI returns to the fray on Tuesday against the Giles Reynolds XI: this game will also provide an opportunity to say farewell to our long-serving History teacher and former Housemaster, currently coaching the 1st XI, as he heads off to India after 36 years at Sherborne. Wednesday is given over to the Jimmy Adams Prep Schools’ Tournament, before the evening sees the Bow House (staff) XI playing their final match of the term against Sherborne CC. Then, on Thursday 26th June, the week comes to its climax as the 1st XI closes its season in an all-day game against MCC. This will also be the occasion of the prize draw, during the afternoon tea interval.
MiC Cricket, Hugh Tatham comments, “After a busy winter, which has seen Sherborne recognised in ‘The Cricketer’ magazine's Top 100 schools as well as being chosen as a performance centre for Dorset Cricket, I am absolutely delighted that we will again be going Red for Ruth. Our Ruth Strauss Foundation Cricket Week has quickly become established as one of the highlights of the season, and this year’s will be a real community affair. Do join us on The Upper to support this wonderful cause.”
To keep in touch with our fundraising efforts, enter the prize draw or make a donation, please click here or scan the QR code below.
Highlights from previous years
The Ruth Strauss Foundation
In early 2018, Ruth Strauss, the wife of former England cricket captain, Sir Andrew Strauss and the mother of two young boys, was diagnosed with an incurable form of lung cancer that affects non-smokers. Unfortunately, she was given just one year to live and passed away on 29th December 2019. In light of this tragedy, Sir Andrew reached out to his former Australian opponent Glenn McGrath, who had also tragically lost his wife to breast cancer. McGrath had set up the McGrath Foundation and had secured the ‘Pink’ Sydney Test Match to commemorate his wife, an event Strauss had played in himself in 2011. As a result, he set up the Ruth Strauss Foundation, originally the idea of Ruth herself in her last few months alive, to help families in similar circumstances.
The goal of the charity is to help families 'do death well', and to support them in the most tragic of circumstances. We very much hope you will be able to support their work by visiting our Ruth Strauss Foundation Cricket Week.