Kent stars named as retrospective Wisden Schools Cricketers of the Year

Tuesday 27th April 2021

Men’s First Team

Kent stars named as retrospective Wisden Schools Cricketers of the Year

Following the publication of the 2021 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, a number of former Kent stars have been awarded Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year accolades, awarded retrospectively from 1900.

In 2007, the Almanack introduced the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year award. The first winner was Jonny Bairstow, and the most recent winner, Tawanda Muyeye, is now a Kent player.

For 2021, Wisden’s schools correspondent, Douglas Henderson, along with the editor, Lawrence Booth, and his editorial team have selected winners for every year from 1900 to 2006 based solely on the schools averages in the
Almanack, and have retrospectively named Wisden Schools Cricketers of the Year.

Unlike the Five Wisden Cricketers of the Year Award, players can win the ‘Schools’ Award more than once. Each year’s winner is chosen on the basis of his or her performance in schools cricket, as reported in Wisden.

Ten Kent stars have now won the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year Award, with Kent legends Colin Cowdrey & Chris Tavaré having earned two awards each.

Eight retrospective winners join Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye, who have won the award since its formal recognition in 2007.

Colin & Chris Cowdrey are one of two father & son pairs to now be on this list, and Tonbridge School now has the most winners with six.

  • 1900 – E.W. DILLON (Rugby School)

    • 223 first-class Kent appearances, 1900-1923
    • Men’s Cap no. 54
    • Kent Captain, 1909-1913
      • County Championship winning captain, 1909, 1910 & 1913

  • 1910 – F.H. KNOTT (Tonbridge School)

    • 11 first-class Kent appearances, 1910-1914
    • Men’s Cap no. 69

  • 1920 – G.J. BRYAN (Wellington College)

    • 51 first-class Kent appearances, 1920-1933
    • Men’s Cap no. 79

  • 1946 – I.P. CAMPBELL (Canford School)

    • 1 first-class Kent appearance, 1946

  • 1949 – M.C. COWDREY (Tonbridge School)

    • 114 Test appearances for England, 1954-1975
    • 402 first-class Kent appearances, 1950-1976
    • Men’s Cap no. 119
    • Kent Captain, 1957-1971
      • County Championship winning captain, 1970

  • 1950 – M.C. COWDREY (Tonbridge School)

  • 1954 – G.W. COOK (Dulwich College)

    • 4 first-class Kent appearances, 1957

  • 1972 C.J. TAVARÉ (Sevenoaks School)

    • 31 Test appearances for England, 1980-1989
    • 258 first-class Kent appearances, 1974-1988
    • Men’s Cap no. 156
    • Kent Captain, 1983-1984

  • 1973 C.J. TAVARÉ (Sevenoaks School)

  • 1975 C.S. COWDREY (Tonbridge School)

    • 6 Test appearances for England, 1984-1988
    • 280 first-class Kent appearances, 1977-1991
    • Men’s Cap no. 157
    • Kent Captain, 1985-1990

Formal award inaugurated

  • 2011 D.J. BELL-DRUMMOND (Millfield School)

    • 118 first-class Kent appearances as of 27/04/21, 2011-present
    • Men’s Cap no. 211

  • 2020 T.S. MUYEYE (Eastbourne College)

WIN a copy of the 2021 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, signed by 2021 Wisden Cricketers of the Year Zak Crawley & Darren Stevens, as well as the editor of the Almanack, Lawrence Booth.

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From the Kent Cricket Shop customers that enter this prize draw before the closing date, a winner will be chosen at random. The winner will be notified via e-mail week commencing Monday 10th May, 2021.

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