The Young Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year

Wisden has long carried details of schools cricket. As far back as 1865, the second edition included an account of the previous year’s Eton v Harrow match. These days the coverage runs to around 200 schools over 40 pages.

In 2008, Wisden introduced a new award, the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year. The aim was to help raise the profile of schools cricket, especially at state schools.

The first winner was Jonathan Bairstow, whose eight innings for St Peter’s School (York) in 2007 produced three centuries, 654 runs and the remarkable average of 218.00. Jonathan is the son of the former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow, and made a successful debut for Yorkshire during 2009.

The second winner, as announced in Wisden 2009, was James Taylor, who scored 898 runs for Shrewsbury School in 2008 at the phenomenal average of 179.60. James also played for England in the Under-19 World Cup, and made his first-class debut for Leicestershire, also in 2008, scoring 51 against Bangladesh A in only his second match. The following season he scored 1,184 runs in the County Championship, the third-highest aggregate ever amassed by a teenager (Denis Compton heads the list with 1,345 in 1934).

The third winner, unveiled in the 2010 Wisden, was Jos Buttler, who scored 554 runs for King’s College Taunton in 2009 and also played for Somerset. The county showed their high opinion of Buttler’s talents by including him in their squad for the inaugural Champions League Twenty20 competition in India, where he played against the eventual winners New South Wales. Buttler went on to play for England in the Under-19 World Cup.

Each year’s winner is chosen on the basis of his or her performance in schools cricket, as reported in Wisden. The only criteria for a school’s inclusion are that it must not be age-restricted, must have a sixth form, and a fixture list of an acceptable standard (in Wisden’s judgment). There are notable exceptions, but the majority of schools featured are from the independent sector, reflecting the paucity of cricket in state schools and colleges, a trend Wisden is keen to help reverse.

Schools who wish to be considered for inclusion in future editions of Wisden should either write to the deputy editor, Hugh Chevallier, at John Wisden & Co, 13 Old Aylesfield, Golden Pot, Alton, Hampshire GU34 4BY, or contact Wisden here