Team of the term: Shrewsbury School Cricket First XI

Sally Jones nominates the best school cricket team of the season

Our team of the term, Shrewsbury School Cricket First XI has won a string of championships from junior level onwards, losing to only Harrow and Eton this summer, and is richly fulfilling its early promise. The side scored fi ne victories throughout this summer's National Schools 20/20 Championship but then lost to Repton in a cliff - hanger final, partly because of competing county commitments. Nevertheless it remains one of the top sides in the country.

Its star is James (Jimmy) Taylor, the England Under-19 opening batsman. He is contracted to Leicestershire and has had to juggle his A level commitments with matches for the county's Second XI, but nonetheless has averaged over 1000 runs a season and is close to Alastair Cook's record of over 4,500 first team runs in his school career. Other strong players include Joe Leach, who already plays for Worcestershire 2nds; Shropshire Under-21 Michael Barnard; plus Welsh international Ben Williams and Dion Holden of the Glamorgan Academy, who have both won Cassidy Sports Scholarships.

Andy Barnard, Shrewsbury's master in charge of cricket, believes that "it's great to have outstanding individuals but another reason for our success is that some of the lads have played in senior leagues from a young age, which gives them the skill and hardened resolve of adult cricketers and makes the squad more like top club side than a public school team."