School cricket in Oxfordshire is likely to be taken to a whole new level.

Last year, Oxford’s Magdalen College School announ-ced that former England all-rounder Phil DeFreitas would be joining their staff.

Now another ex-England star, John Crawley, will become their new head of cricket in February.

And the former Lancashire and Hampshire player, who won a combined total of 50 caps for his country in Test and one-day cricket, can’t wait to get going.

“I’m extremely excited about starting and am looking forward immensly to the challenge,” said Crawley, who is presently working at Marlborough College.

“MCS is a wonderful school with serious sporting aspirations, not least with regard to the community and I obviously know Phil very well, so it is a great move for me.

“I have enjoyed my role at Marlborough, but missed being heavily involved with cricket there and this gives me the chance to do that.”

Crawley and DeFreitas played alongside each other for both club and country and have remained friends since their careers ended.

The duo put on 89 to help England beat the Aussies in the fourth Test of the 1994/5 tour.

“I played with Phil at Lancashire and we toured Australia as well as playing a couple of home series together,” Crawley said.

“We shared a nice partnership at Adelaide in January 1995 to help win the Test there and we have kept in contact since.”

Crawley’s first task, he says, is to try to encourage a rise in the number of pupils playing the game.

“We would like to have a high participation rate and have as many pupils as possible enjoying the game, then we can look at helping people to the next level – at university, club and beyond,” he added.

“The game is full of enjoyment. We want to make sure that everyone has fun playing cricket and give the pupils an extra dimension to their life-skills.”

Crawley is no stranger to Oxford, having played against the university while captain of Cambridge. His elder brother, Mark, was a double Oxford Blue.

Since retiring in 2009, Crawley admits to having not played much cricket, and while he would be keen to do so, says it is a matter of finding time.

“I have spent the best part of 20 years being away from my family, and so it’s a case of playing if time ever permits,” he said when I suggested that he would get offers to play for clubs in Oxfordshire.

Master Dr Tim Hands said: “John Crawley is a cricketer – and a person – of the highest calibre. All cricket fans will remember with pleasure and admiration the way he dedicated his century against India to the memory of his mother.”