This is a text-only version of an article first published on Friday, 10 January 2014. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
Alec with Oxford academy pupils.
Jason Allen PhotographThe Church of England sponsored Oxford Academy was delighted to welcome former captain of the England cricket team, Alec Stewart, to one of their cricket lessons on Thursday 9 January, as part of the Clydesdale Bank Ambassador programme.
The Church of England sponsored Oxford Academy was delighted to welcome former captain of the England cricket team, Alec Stewart, to one of their cricket lessons on Thursday 9 January, as part of the Clydesdale Bank Ambassador programme. The visit gave some of the Academy's Year 9 students the opportunity to practice the game and hone their cricketing skills whilst receiving tips and guidance from Alec. Around 30 students took to the crease to try out their bowling and batting technique under the watchful eye of the most capped English Test match cricketer of all time.
PE teacher Tom Peterson ran the session and was thrilled to meet his idol.
He commented, "As a youngster, Alec was one of my sporting heroes.
It was a privilege for the students and me to work with him and learn from his experiences. "Tom was joined by Rupert Evans, Head of Cricket and Dick Giles, County Girls Under 15 coach from the Oxfordshire Cricket Board who also helped to mentor the youngsters.
Rupert said, "The session was great for the Academy - to be able to play alongside someone of Alec's calibre gives the students and the cricket game a real boost.
The county board was really pleased to be involved. "At the end of the session, the students were keen to find out more about the cricket legend.
Questions ranged from Brandon Campbell's 'What was the highlight of your career?' to Hayden Massingham's 'Who was the best player you played with?' Alec concluded the Q&A by encouraging the students to keep practising to improve their game. Emma Reynolds, Head of Physical Education at The Academy, said: "We are honoured to have been involved in this special relationship between sport, education and business.
Our students were inspired by Alec's knowledge of his sport and passion for encouraging others to participate. " ;