BEDE’s students have returned from their Caribbean tour unbeaten as they head into the 2015 cricket season.

The Bede’s Cricket Academy set off for a pre-season tour to Barbados which saw pupils training at the Franklyn Stephenson’s Academy and playing three matches against competitive sides, from which they emerged as the victors.

The squad, which consisted of a mixture of boys and girls from Bede’s Senior School and four of Bede’s Prep School’s Sussex County players, spent a day training at The Wanderers Cricket Club, during which the players came to understand what it meant to play on the hard Caribbean wickets as well as in the ferocious heat.

The group’s first match was against St Leonard’s School which, despite several rain interruptions, saw some great play and the first of Bede’s victories via the Duckworth Lewis scoring rate.

The group spent time training at ex-West Indies player Franklyn Stephenson’s Academy, with this clearly helping the players as the next day the Sussex outfit played Lodge School – one of Barbados’ best cricket schools – and beat the local team by 35 runs.

The final match of the tour came against the world-famous Wanderers Club.

The Bede’s squad expected a tough challenge from the Wanderers Under-15 side – a team which has, in the past, produced cricketers such as Jason Holder, Ian Bradshaw, Pedro Collins and Craig Braithwaite.

A fantastic bowling performance from the Bede’s team, including four wickets for team captain Zac Cisotti, meant they managed to bowl the Wanderers Club out for 111 – a score which they managed to meet in just 13 overs without loss.

Bede’s director of cricket Alan Wells said: “The week was a fantastic experience for the whole team and has served as great preparation for the upcoming season.”