22nd April 2025
As schools return from their Easter break this coming week, many schools took advantage of the fine spring weather to schedule some pre-season friendly games in preparation for the season. In contrast, others travelled to Spain, Barbados, Sri Lanka and the UAE for pre-season festivals and tours. However, all schools and clubs with junior sections are grappling with the complexities of a new set of ECB safety regulations governing junior cricketers.
The ECB released the new regulations on March 19th, which is far too late in the eyes of many. At the same time, much of the paperwork issued by the ECB associated with the safety of junior cricketers, like team cards and information for officials on the regulations concerning young cricketers, still has the old regulations. Criticism has been levelled at the county boards, who failed to notify many schools, and it was left to the Schools Cricket Committee to disseminate this information after a request from the ECB’s cricket safety unit.
While some of the new regulations make sense, such as the mandatory use of a ‘box’ for all junior male players in any activity involving wearing a protective helmet, others, like the change in age group regulations, seem to make no sense. A change in the number of overs allowed to be bowled by young bowlers at various age groups, along with changes in fielding regulations, are likely to lead to confusion in both club and school cricket in the coming weeks.
Many schools were involved in fixtures in the week leading up to Good Friday, while others enjoyed fixtures over the holiday weekend. The batters seemed to enjoy the batting-friendly conditions, with Charlie Horton and Charlie Carroll of Marlborough’s 1st XI recording three-figure scores. Bradfield’s Ted Paice and another Charlie – Gresham’s Charlie Jackson – also scored hundreds. Up-and-coming Worcestershire prospect Seth Essenhigh also took a hundred off the Cheltenham attack for King’s Worcester. Winchester’s James Kennedy made the top score of the week against Whitgift, while Shrewsbury’s Irish U19 wicket keeper Freddie Ogilby agonisingly fell 5 short of a ton against Worksop. Freddie’s teammate mate Isaac England, who also played in their pre-season games last week, made his debut for Shrewsbury Town in their League One game at Northampton on Monday. Unfortunately for Isaac, his already relegated club lost 4-1.
Tuesday saw the launch of the Wisden Almanack in the Long Room at Lord’s. This year’s Wisden School Cricketer of the Year is Aryaman Varma, who was the captain of Eton in 2024. Aryaman took 51 wickets last season at just over 12 apiece with his leg-spin as well as scoring over 300 runs. In 2023, he also took 45 wickets at a shade over 17 and took over 100 wickets for Eton in his 3 years in the 1st XI. In taking over 50 wickets, Aryaman became the first bowler since Charterhouse’s Prince Singh in 2018 to reach this target, which was unique in itself these days, as Singh was a seam bowler.
Aryaman posing with his leather bound copy of the 2025 Wisden (Photo: Wisden)
The Eton master i/c Richard Montgomerie noted that Aryaman developed more control, accuracy and variations over the winter of 2023/2024, which transferred to some excellent spells over the summer. He had six four-wicket hauls, including eight wickets (four in each innings) in a two-day match against Melbourne Grammar School. He took five wickets twice, once against Charterhouse and also in a T20 match against a strong Free Foresters side. His consistency as a leg spinner was outstanding.
It was not only his leg spin which contributed to Eton’s excellent record in 2024. He took the most catches, including several good ones in the slips. He opened the batting for much of the season and, although he did not manage to make big scores, he often gave the innings good impetus at the start, scoring at a run-a-ball or better.
He also captained the side with a single-minded determinedness, putting fielders in good positions all the time, which enabled bowlers to bowl with confidence. In particular, the players who were new to the side performed as well as they could have hoped, which was down to his astute captaincy.
Montgomerie went on to say that Aryaman’s skills as a cricketer should excel in the shorter forms of the game in particular, but he is developing his all-round abilities to make contributions not only with the ball but also with the bat and in the field in the longer form as well.
Varma spent the winter playing grade cricket in Brisbane before being signed for the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 in January. He is currently engaged as a net bowler in the IPL, warming up the superstars for Delhi Capitals. He played age-group cricket for Kent last season and also represented their 2nd XI, having previously played for Surrey in age-group cricket.
Wisden will be available from Thursday from all booksellers, but for a discounted rate, it can be subscribed to annually by going to this link.
https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/discover/wisden/
Finally, the Cricket Paper will be covering the National Schools Boys U18 T20, Cricket Paper National Girls U18 100 ball and the Cricket Paper National Boys U17 competitions for the season. The Cricket Paper is published each Sunday.
Results – Boys
Elizabeth * 323-4 (40 ), Hereford Cathedral 104
Hereford Cathedral 105, Elizabeth * 105-5
Hurstpierpoint 118 (30 ), Brighton 119-0
Marlborough * 174-3 (20 ), The Oratory 0-0 – abandoned
Willo Cricket 93 (30), Reed’s 94-0
New Hall 90 (20), Culford 91-1 (13 )
Stowe * 254-9 (40 ), Uppingham 128 (28 )
Sherborne 157 (40 ), RGS, High Wycombe 126 (21 )
Berkhamsted* 242 (50), St. Edward’s 186
Shrewsbury* 219-9 (50), Worksop 222-6
Wellington * 98 (40), Marlborough 99-5 (24 )
Taunton 202 (45), Forest* 100
RGS Guildford 165 (35), Charterhouse* 153
Culford 130-3 (20 ), Emanuel 132-3 (18 )
New Hall 90-9 (20), Culford 92-1
Emanuel 156-4 (20), New Hall 115-7
Winchester 275-8 (40) (J Kennedy 127), Whitgift 206-8
Gresham’s* 217-4 (30) (C. Jackson 102*), Haileybury 220-6
Sherborne 111-6 (20 ), Bedford 113-7 (19 )
Culford * 128-6 (20 ), Bedford Modern 129-2 (12 )
Reading Blue Coat 124-9 (20), Sherborne 125-8
Haileybury* 197 (40), Dulwich 199-9
St Joseph’s Ipswich 191-2 (20), Woodbridge* 77-8
Forest* 167-4 (100 ball), Taunton 168-3
Bradfield* 109-7 (20), Reeds 112-2
Bradfield* 148-7 (20), KCS Wimbledon 142-9
New Hall 118-8 (20 ), St John’s , Leatherhead 120-3 (18 )
King’s Worcester 192-5 (20), Bishop’s Stortford 104-7
Worcestershire Academy 215-7 (50), Shrewsbury* 213
RGS, Newcastle 141-5 (20 ), Merchiston Castle 122-5
Marlborough 249-1 (20 ), (C. Horton 104*), Lord Wandsworth 167-7
Wymondham 107 (25), Ashford 110-5
Emanuel 167-6 (15 ), Culford 163-7 (15 )
Sherborne 111-6 (20), Bedford 113-7
Glamorgan Pathway XI 181-7 (30), Shrewsbury*190-4 (DLS)
Hampshire Pathway XI 239 (35), Winchester 35-2 – Rain
Free Foresters 277-8 dec., Marlborough 278-7 (C. M. Carroll 110)
Bradfield* 336-8 (40) (E. P. Paice 102*), Willo Cricket 178-5 – Rain
Kent 144-9 (30), Wymondham 100
Oundle 308-6 (40), Bloxham* 149-9
Merchant Taylors’ Northwood* 233-6 (40), Oundle 218-7
RGS Guildford* 136, St. Johns 96
Norwich* 268-6 dec., Bradford GS 64
Merchiston Castle 225-9 (40 ), Durham* 202
Berhamsted 274-7 (50), Buckinghamshire U18 242-8
Merchant Taylors’ Northwood* 208-4 (20), King’s Taunton 181
Merchant Taylors’ Northwood* 164-8 (20), Tonbridge 105
Repton 160-4 (20), Tonbridge 140-9
Norwich 202-5 (20 ), Bradford Grammar 80-8 (20 )
Repton 174-3 (20), King’s Taunton 134-9
King’s Worcester 244-8 (40) (S. Essenhigh 105*), Cheltenham 136-3
Winchester* 109-9 (20), Cranleigh 107
Cranleigh 168-5 (20), Canford 146-6
St Benedict’s 200-8 (40), UCS 107
Canford 107-4 (12), Winchester 108-1
Epsom 299-6 (40), Hampshire Pathway XI 278-8
Girls
Hereford Cathedral 143-6 (20 ), Elizabeth * 75-6
Shrewsbury 99-7 (20), Willo Cricket 100-5
Shrewsbury 157-2 (20), Bradfield* 121-3
Shrewsbury 170-2, Shenfield 98-7
Bradfield 182-6* (30), Shrewsbury 186-1
Repton 124 -8* (20), King’s Worcester 126-4
Repton 265-7* (40), King’s Worcester 230
St Edward’s , Oxford* 136-1 (20 ), St Helen & St Katharine 137-4 (20 )
Marlborough 141 (30 ), Wellington 144-3 (18 )
Culford 100-5 (20 ), Emanuel 101-3 (200 )
Emanuel 162-6 (20 ), New Hall 101-3 (20 )
Emanuel 127-8 (25 ), Culford 130-4
St Edward’s , Oxford 132-3 (20 ), Lord Wandsworth 82-6 (20 )
St John’s , Leatherhead 105-9 (20 ), Charterhouse* 106-6 (20 )
St Peter’s* 97-5 (20) Barnard Castle 67
St Peter’s* 86-4 (100 ball), Barnard Castle 83-5
Buckinghamshire U18 120-5 (20), Berkhamsted* 71
Surrey U18 119-3 (20), Cranleigh* 72
Surrey U18 95-6 (20), Epsom 97-0
Surrey U18 126-6 (20), Epsom 121-7