On Friday 20th May, 45 students competed in the Derwentside District Athletics event at The Riverside Stadium, Chester-le-Street. The students displayed excellent effort, attitude and resilience, and did both themselves and Consett Academy proud. Due to this, we finished first place overall as a school.

A huge well done to all of the students for their fantastic performance, with a special shout out to the following students who came first in their event and will be taken forward to compete in the County Athletics: 

100m sprint – Alex H (Y9), Scarlett F (Y10), Riley B (Y10). 

200m sprint – Tony S (Y9), Faye K (Y9), Mollie S (Y10), Paras Y (Y10), David A (Y10).

300/400m Sprint – Jack M (Y9), Zoe B (Y10). 

800m – Faye K (Y9), Joe S (Y9), Zoe B (Y10). 

1500m – Hattie S (Y9) Sandy B (Y10), Zoe B (Y10).

4 x 100m relay – Alex H, Tony S, Leon D, and Joe S (Y9). 

4 x 100m relay – Hattie S, Eva C, Paige T and Faye K (Y8/9). 

4 x 100m relay – Jenny A, Scarlett F, Mollie S and Hollie B (Y10).

4 x 100m relay – Paras Y, Riley B, David A and Louis L (Y10).

Discuss – Ellie T (Y8), Isabel A (Y10), Jack W (Y8).

Triple jump – Gracie E (Y10), Riley B (Y10).

Javelin – Imogen H (Y8), Summer W (Y10), Tom W (Y10).

Shot put – Imogen H (Y8), Neil S (Y9), Noah D (Y10), Jessica K (Y10).

Long jump – Eva C (Y8), Summer W (Y10), Riley B (Y10).

A match report by Mr Hall –

I’ll be honest, when I saw Consett was lined up against Barnard Castle, Yarm and St Leonard’s in the last stage of the competition, I didn’t for a second think they’d make it here to Bolton Arena and the regional finals. But this team proved me wrong, through sheer teamwork, resilience, respect and determination here they are, the best cricketing school in County Durham. 

A 5:45am departure time for the first game against the best team in Wales. Mae D elected to bowl, she opened the bowling and once again has increased her pace. Wickets began to fall steadily, but into the middle overs, the early morning wake up call started to show, as Consett bowled a succession of wides and conceded frustrating over throws. Annie L stepped in to bowl some mesmerising leg spin and stemmed the flow of runs. Wales finished on 79/7. 

The opening few overs weren’t Consett’s finest moment. After 2 overs and overly aggressive running, they found themselves   7/4. Izzy E and Charli H supported Annie L as Consett navigated their way to the final over, where they required 15. Izzy managed to find the boundary and set up Annie L who needed a 6 off the final ball. Here it came… pitched up, big swing… and a miss! Consett tasted defeat for the first time! So close. 

As a Yorkshireman myself, I know how much cricket means to the county. Therefore facing the best team in Yorkshire (Wakefield Grammar) was going to be a real battle. Consett bowled again. The pace of Mae D was too much and time after time she beat the bat with support from Lilia B at the other end. Wickets fell quickly, they had a chance at restricting Yorkshire to a relatively modest total. Wonderful fielding from Lucy S and Kara S meant Yorkshire couldn’t eek out any runs, in cricket that puts huge pressure on the batting team and that turns into mistakes. That theory proved fact and Consett took the final wickets rapidly. Yorkshire all out for 56. 

In return, immediate disaster. Jenni A just couldn’t find gaps in the field and a quick single proved her downfall. But Annie L held firm through incredible support from Izzy E and Charli H, Consett we’re chewing through the required runs rapidly. And, before Yorkshire could reassess they had taken a major scalp. Durham (Consett) had beaten Yorkshire (Wakefield Grammar School)! 

A quick spot of lunch and Consett were ready to go, they’d face both teams once again. They couldn’t make the semifinals, could they? 

A massive game, once again against Wales. Mae D lost the toss and had to bat post lunch. Unfortunately for the girls, the wickets tumbled early. Wales found a way to dismantle what was a monster weapon in the previous stages – the upper order batting. Consett relied on bravery and resilience from Ellie L who as last in manger to muster up some graceful shots to drag the score to 65. In reply Wales started strongly, Mae couldn’t find a way through the stern defensive display, the runs kept ticking over, Consett’s hopes fading with each one. Izzy E and Lucy S found a way to take key wickets with beautifully crafted slower balls. It gave Lilia B a tiny shot at victory, she had to defend 3 runs off the final over, could her ever reliable line and length be the difference again? 6 balls to go, a wicket falls! Followed by a dot ball! Mae encouraged her team, surely not another thrilling finish ending in a miracle? And then… it was over, so suddenly, so cruelly, the ball smashed for 4 despite every effort from the Annie L and Kara S in the field. 

Consett would have to beat Yorkshire again and rely on a few mathematical calculations to make the semi final stage. Mae won the toss and bowled, Yorkshire patiently waited through the blistering pace of Mae D and the wizardry of Annie L before unleashing all out attack. Six after six after six. Mae D tried every tactic in the book, her shoulders never slumped, she called upon her team constantly to change things, a true leader. 108/4 the total. The instructions were clear – to just enjoy themselves. Mae D and Jenni A did just that, scampering between the wickets quickly and picking up runs that would’ve been so useful in the game before. The openers were still there at the end, and with a beaming smile upon both their faces, despite falling short of the mammoth total they’d scored 86 against a incredibly strong bowling attack. 

There’d be no Lords and no national final. Not this year at least. But there was no shame, they are the best team in County Durham. They’d beaten the best team in Yorkshire and almost pipped Wales to a semi final spot. I just want to end this by saying how proud I am of each of these girls. Each one proud to represent the school, the town of Consett and all of County Durham. It may seem like a defeat now. But it’s a huge achievement for each one of them. They’ve put our school well and truly back on the map. 

Our Consett Year 9 boys football team continued their rich vein of form this week with an emphatic 7-0 victory against Tanfield school. The lads dominated throughout and produced their best ever performance in a Consett jersey. Goals were scored by Joe S x2, Leon D x2, Jack T, Alex H and Lewis G, with a special mention to our shot stopper Harry P who performed heroics at times to claim a magnificent clean sheet. Joe S was given man of the match for an outstanding display in central midfield, claiming 2 assists to add to his 2 goals.

All credit to the lads and enjoy your well deserved break over Easter! 💪🏻⚽️

April is usually the start of the UK cricket championships, but it’s also the time for the later stages of the indoor competition. Consett U15’s made the journey to Sunderland to continue their valiant voyage through the maze of the Lady Taverner’s Cricket competition and this time rubbing shoulders with some of the most prestigious schools in the North of England.

The girls faced up against Barnard Castle in their first game. Having lost the toss Captain Mae D informed her team they would have to bat. The instructions for this team were the same, run fast, run hard and win via attrition. Jenny A faced the opening overs with Mae and faced some rapid pace and bounce from Barnard Castle. Jenny A fell having targeting a slower ball, but Mae stood firm with assistance from the ever reliant Charli H and the master of the reverse sweep Izzy E. Consett were restricted in this game to 76\6 a modest but competitive total.

In reply Mae opened the bowling, taking a prize wicket in the process. The  girls showed each other overwhelming vocal support throughout the innings to the extent their was never a silent moment. Each one supporting each other and partaking in every ball as if it was the last. The closing overs were tense, Lilia B took the final and decisive over, the consistent line and length that Glen McGrath would be proud of was too much for the lower order Barnard Castle batters. Backed with tremendous fielding from Izzy A, there was no escape from the brakes the team applied to the flow of runs. Consett had beaten Barnard Castle, THE Barnard Castle!

With adrenaline still pouring through her veins, Mae D was dragged into another toss. This time Yarm School were the opponents, and once again Consett would bat. The openers batted well as a partnership, supporting each other throughout the opening overs offering words of advice and acting upon it. Once Jenny A fell, there was a slight precession of wickets, and Consett were up against it. Some effective rearguard action Lucy S, Ellie L and Cara S managed to drag the score to 55/7. Mae noticed the down beat morale of her players and took the new ball, and ramped up the pace… 1 wicket, 2 wickets, they couldn’t could they? Annie L bowled her mesmerising leg spin… 3 wickets, 4 wickets, spectators began to stand up to view from the other courts. Lilia bowled… 5 wickets, and a run out! All of a sudden Consett were on top 56 seemed defendable. Lucy S followed in Lilia’s footsteps with a crate line and length medium pace… 7 wickets! And it was sealed, on off the most dramatic turn around was complete. Yarm bowled out for 22! Another win!

Third match against St Leonard’s was decisive, win and play in the final, lose and await other results. Mae won the toss and decided to bowl. Early wickets and lightening run outs put Consett just ahead of the team that pipped the girls in the qualifying competition. A solid display, topped off by Izzy A knocking middle stump out of the ground meant St Leonard’s were restricted to 45/5, however, Consett knew the strength of the opposition was in their bowling. Mae and Jenny were patient and played out the first few overs without troubling the scorer. The team had begun to adapt to the pace of the surface, there’s no way they could surpass the 100+ totals the made in the qualifiers the had to readjust their sites for a lesser target. When Mae was bowled it was the job of Annie to steer the ship, and that she did with great navigable skills. The rank outsiders had done it. 3 wins from 3. A place in the final secured! 

Consett Academy U15’s had made the county final against Yarm School. No matter what happened they girls had surpassed the expectation of anyone, not just in terms of their performance, but their resilience, teamwork, bravery, behaviour and effort. Mae, won the toss and elected to bat. Here we go… Jenny struggled with extra pace, but managed to rotate the strike, before Mae hit a beautiful shot but was superbly caught! Consett had to depend on the work from Lucy S came through a stuttering start to blast a stunning six over the fielders. Ellie L and Izzy E were fantastic with the bat and as Consett hit their way to 75/4. 

This was it… one innings between Consett Academy and stardom. Mae took the new ball, ran in with pace and demolished the stumps! A wicket off the first ball! What a start! 3/2 off the first over. Advantage Consett. Annie L bowled the second over and 2 more fell with the final balls. The dream beamed the clouds and was appearing as a reality. Lilia B and Lucy S chipped in. This was it Consett one wicket from victory. Annie L took the ball, a hat trick was on the cards, the ball ripped out of her hand, fizzed through the air, exploded off the surface, pitching on leg and hitting the top of off stump, the dream leg spin delivery. Consett Academy are County Champions. 

What a performance. What a day. What a team.