Sedbergh School’s role in getting Harry Brook, George Hill and Matty Revis ready for Yorkshire CCC duty - Chris Waters
Aside from being Yorkshire cricketers, and splendid ones too, they went to the same school – Sedbergh.
Yorkshire’s “Sedbergh set”, as we should perhaps call them, have made excellent starts to the season.
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Hide AdBrook, the oldest of the trio at 23, has made an exceptional one if truth be told, putting himself firmly into contention for a call-up to the England Test XI.
![Harry Brook of Yorkshire came through the Sedbergh School system. (Picture: Michael Steele/Getty Images)](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/webimg/QVNIMTI1NTk1NjM4.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Harry Brook of Yorkshire came through the Sedbergh School system. (Picture: Michael Steele/Getty Images)](/img/placeholder.png)
Hill, 21, hit his maiden first-class century against Northants at Wantage Road, where Revis, 20, played his part with runs and wickets before recording his maiden first-class half-century last week against Kent.
The “Sedbergh set” is coming along well and will hopefully serve Yorkshire – and perhaps in all three cases England – in the coming years.
“It’s quite cool that we’re all playing together,” said Hill. “Rev and Brooky weren’t there at the same time; Brooky sort of left when Rev came, but it’s good fun and we all get along really well. It’s nice to share a changing room with those two guys.
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Hide Ad“Everyone knows Brooky’s ability with the bat, while Rev has improved his bowling massively and definitely put on a yard. His skills have increased and his consistency, and he’s been bowling really well recently.
![Yorkshire's George Hill is another Sedbergh alumnus excelling (Picture: SWPix.com)](https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/webimg/QVNIMTI1NTk1NjM5.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Yorkshire's George Hill is another Sedbergh alumnus excelling (Picture: SWPix.com)](/img/placeholder.png)
“I’d probably say that he’s the better all-rounder (of the two of us) at the minute. He’s like Flintoff, isn’t he, the size of him.”
Sedbergh School should take a bow for its role in the development of these young players or, to be more specific, Martin Speight should take a bow.
The former Sussex and Durham man is the school’s director of cricket and responsible for nurturing a number of talented young stars, male and female.
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Hide Ad“He’s brought a few good players through and he carries on doing so,” said Brook, after striking a career-best 194 in the match against Kent. “He’s a very good coach and that’s why I keep working with him.
“All the hard work we’ve done together over the years, hopefully now it’s paying off.”
Speight’s qualities were recognised by Darren Gough, the Yorkshire interim managing director of cricket, who turned to him earlier this year when the club was putting together a team of interim coaches.
Speight, 54, described that experience as “extremely rewarding” and noted the “work hard ethos” among the Yorkshire players, who knuckled down while a permanent coaching staff was being assembled.
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Hide Ad“Speighty’s had a huge influence on me,” added Hill. “I first met him when I was 10. I went up to Sedbergh a few times before I actually went to school there to have nets with him, and then since 13 till now he’s sort of been my batting coach.
“Whenever things are going a little bit rubbish I ring him and go, ‘Can I come for a net, or can we just go for a coffee or a pint and have a chat over it?’ He’s obviously a great coach and a really good friend as well.”
It was to Speight, along with his parents, that Hill’s thoughts turned after that breakthrough century at Northants.
“I thought of my mum and dad and Speighty,” he said. “It was a relief to finally get that first hundred crossed off.”
No doubt the “Sedbergh set”, so grateful for their time at the school and the help that they received, will continue to go from strength to strength.
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