26th April
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The 160th Wisden Cricketer’s Almanack was published last Wednesday, and your correspondent was present at the launch in the Long Room at Lord’s last Tuesday. As ever, the occasion was graced by various luminaries of the cricketing world. Among those receiving awards on the night were Matthew Potts, Dom Sibley and Jonny Bairstow, while the likes of Sir Tim Rice, Mike Brearley and various cricket writers looked on.
I was there in the capacity of the compiler of the Schools section for the first time, having taken on Douglas Henderson’s mantle after his death in February 2022. Douglas’s obituary can be found in that section in the new edition.
One of my responsibilities is to select the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year. Douglas chose well in his incumbency with the first three choices after the award’s inception in 2007 all went on to represent England. The first of those Jonny Bairstow, was on hand at the dinner to present the latest winner with his leather bound and embossed copy of this year’s almanack.
Ollie Cox with Jonny Bairstow in the MCC Museum
The 2022 winner of the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year was Ollie Cox, formerly of Malvern College. This was decided by a selection panel of knowledgeable observers of schools’ cricket for his volume of runs against consistently strong opponents. He has a Worcestershire contract and played in the Pakistani Junior League in the Autumn. Mark Hardinges, his coach at Malvern – the first establishment to have produced two Schools Cricketers of the Year – said Cox had been a late developer. Hard work, though, paid off, and in 2022 he turned heads. His timing is superb, he hits the ball hard, and his magnificent unbeaten 131 against Trent College in the quarter-final of the National Twenty 20, coming from just 63 balls, illustrated the depth of his talent.
With most schools now back after the Easter break, there was more or less a full schools programme this weekend. I was on hand to watch Charterhouse succumb to Tonbridge in their home patch. Tonbridge won the toss and invited the home side to bat, who were confident after a fine win against Radley earlier in the week. However, on a drying wicket, Charterhouse were never at the races and slumped to 109 all out in just 35 overs against an accurate Tonbridge attack. Tonbridge made easy work of their target scoring their runs inside 25 overs.
Fifty-over games were thin on the ground this week with many schools, opting for shorter formats with uncertain weather and pitches that favoured the bowlers. However, there was a veritable run fest at Hurstpierpoint, where the home side were invited to bat by visitors Whitgift. An opening partnership of 161 between Henry Rogers (88) and Benjy Jackson (69) laid the foundations for a large score, before Sam Henderson added 80 at more than a run a ball. Hurstpierpoint’s innings eventually closed on 312-4 from 50 overs.
Although most of Whitgift’s batsmen got starts, none were able to go on and the play the big innings that was needed to provide the backbone to their reply that was required if they were to overhaul a daunting target. Wickets fell all too regularly as Whitgift were eventually bowled out in the 47th over for 277.
Scores
Marlborough 255-6 (50), *Sherborne 60-4,
Match Abandoned due to rain – Marlborough win by 65 runs on DLS method.
St Peter’s, York 219-6 (20), University of York 113
*St Peter’s, York 165-8 (30), Scarborough College 74-1 Match Abandoned
*KCS Wimbledon 100-7 (20 overs), Reed’s 103-7
*Cranleigh 205-8 (50), Bede’s 206-4 (Woolley 96)
M.C.C. 222-5, *Bryanston 157-3. Rain stopped play
MCC 155-9 (50), *Shrewsbury 156-6
*High School of Glasgow 189-3 (20) (I. Faisal 111 n.o.), Glasgow Academy 103-5
*St George’s College Weybridge 156-7 (20), KCS Wimbledon 157-7 (S. Eley 95*)
*Glasgow Academy 175-6 (20), Hutchesons 87-9
*Bradfield 215–9 (50), Christ’s College, NZ 143
Winchester 189–9 (40), *Epsom 161–8,
Radley 170 (50), *Charterhouse 171–3
Marlborough 198–7 (40), Lord Wandsworth 75
Tonbridge 164–3, *Brighton 113
*Wrekin, 110–7 (20) Queen Mary’s GS 103–8
XL 100, * Worksop, 101–0
Pate’s 161–5 (20), *Sir Thomas Rich’s 162–4
MCC 174-8 dec., *Rossall 175–3
*King Edward’s, Bath, 121–8 (30), Kingswood 122–4
Christ’s College, NZ 261, *Rugby 256– 6
*John Lyon, 125–3 (25), Harrow 127–4
Whitgift 97 (20), *Cranleigh 98-1
*Ellesmere 88 (20), Newcastle-under-Lyme 90–4
Dunottar 58 (20), *Ewell Castle 59-2
*Ibstock Place 113, Emanuel 109
*KE Stratford 88 (20), Bishop Veysey’s 92 – 6
Stockport Grammar 84 (20), *MT Crosby 85–8
Beths GS 79 (20), *Oakwood Park GS 80–2
Reading 97–7 (20), *Pangbourne 98– 4
HNC 144–1 (20), *QEGS, Wakefield, 119–3
Stamford 130 (50), *Oundle 105
*Shrewsbury 179-9 (40), Cricket Wales Under 18
*QEH Barnet 57 (35), Pangbourne 58–5,
Radley 217–8 (55), *Eton 218–5
Malvern 227 (50), *Repton 230–8
Warwick 126 (50), *RGS, Worcester, 127–8,
Trinity 87, *RGS Guildford 88–4,
St. Edward’s, Oxford 192 (50), *Rugby 193–3
*St. Johns, Leatherhead, 239–4 (40), Emanuel 114
*Edinburgh Academy, 154–4 (20), ESMS 140–5
*John Lyon 144–2 (20), Latymer Upper 100–4
Gresham’s 193–8 (40), *The Leys 101
*The Perse 79 (45), Norwich 80–3
*Charterhouse 109 (50), Tonbridge 111–4
St Benedict’s 135 (40), *UCS 136–4
*Uppingham 240–9 (50), Stowe 246–4
*Wellington, Somerset 155–6 (20), Warminster 150 –6
*Worksop 302–4 (40), Nottingham HS 120.
Wisbech, 89-7 (20), *Wymondham 78,
*Ipswich 143–5 (30), Culford 126
*MT, Northwood 210 (50), Hampton 65
Haberdasher’s 193–8 (40), *MCS 194–4
*Loughborough, 103–3 (20), Trent 104–4
*Kings, Bruton, 172–7 (30) Monkton Combe 142
*Hurstpierpoint 312–4 (50), Whitgift 277
Wellington, 234 (55), *Harrow 235–7
Bedford 124, *Haileybury 69
*Felsted 177–5, Framlingham178–5
Brighton 127–9 (40), *Epsom 128–3
Wilson’s 84 (30), *Dulwich 88–2
King’s Macclesfield 110 (35), *Denstone 111-5
King’s Worcester, 215–7 (50), *Cheltenham 202
Winchester 318–3 (50), *Bradfield 181
*Berkhamsted, 148 (50), St Paul’s 149–3
Free Foresters, 193–5 dec., *Sherborne 194–9
Somerset Academy, 323–3 (50), *Millfield 206
*Winchester College 200, Free Foresters 138
*Wrekin 99-9 (25), Newcastle-under-Lyme 93-9
MCC 203–9 (45), *Birkdale 123
*Greshams 149–4 (20), Langley 7 7
Kelvinside 32, *Merchiston Castle 36–0
MCC 248–4 (50), *Mount Kelly 149–9
The Perse 123–7 (20), New Hall 124–7
MCC 253–6 dec., *Rugby 236–8
MCC 121–7 (20), *St. John’s Leatherhead 103
Buckinghamshire U18 136–6 (20), Stowe 139–5
Altrincham, GS 168–3 (20), Birkenhead 60–7
The National Schools T20 can be found at an external website here
Full coverage will start next week.
Under 17 (35 overs)
NORTH
Queen Ethelburga’s 110, Scarborough College 114-1
NORTH WEST
Manchester GS 262-4, Wirral GS 101
Kirkham GS 85-7, AKS Lytham 87-3
MIDLANDS E & C
Oundle 63, Uppingham 65 for 1
LONDON FRINGE
Stowe 176-9, Bishop’s Stortford 68
SOUTH WEST
Winchester 222 for 4 beat Portsmouth GS 101 ( Pre Prelim Rd)