England and Yorkshire cricketer Dawid Malan at Cundall Manor

Cundall Manor School near Thirsk is celebrating their end of year speech day and prize giving and has invited England and Yorkshire cricketer Dawid Malan as guest speaker. 

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The 37-year old cricketer was once ranked ‘the number one white-ball batsman’ in the world, and is one of two England players who have scored a century in every format of international cricket; T20, ODI and Test.

He was part of the England squad that won the T20 World Cup in 2022 and he won the Twenty20 title with Middlesex and the Hundred with the Oval Invincibles

Dawid lives near the school, with his family and two young children. His father used to play cricket with Cundall Manor’s head, Simon Weale and also played a few competitive games with Mr Weale at the start of his career.

Mr Weale said: “Dawid is taking time out of his busy summer cricket schedule to visit us in school and he will be hugely welcomed by our community.

"I have watched Dawid play cricket since he was a very little boy, outside our clubhouse in Teddington where his excellent cricket skills were showing from an early age.  He comes from a strong cricketing family and his father would have him batting and bowling all day long with his brother, whatever the weather, and this has clearly paid off.”

Cundall Manor School is already familiar with top international cricketers. 

Cricket legend Ian Botham sent his children and grandchildren to the school which majors on sports and character development. 

Lord Botham’s grandson, Jimbo, represented Wales in the Six Nations this year, and is he is the son of rugby league, rugby union and cricket star Liam Botham, also a Cundall alumni. 

Prize giving is a grand affair at Cundall Manor School with the whole of the Prep and Senior school children attending the prize giving with parents in a large Marquee in front of the old Manor house, which was once a hunting lodge for the elite. 

Mr Weale said: “Our school was founded with the aim of producing resilient young people who can solve problems by learning to try new things, face setbacks positively, and support one another.

"That’s the heart of our character curriculum—and why events like sports and teamwork are integral to life at Cundall Manor.”