The 2024 cricket season has drawn to a close, marking a historic year for Eton College’s 1st XI – known as ‘the XI’ – led under the captaincy of Aryaman Varma OE. Varma, as he is often called, enjoyed a record-breaking season, taking 51 wickets – a feat which has not been achieved for several decades.
His outstanding performances make him a favourite for the 2025 Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year, awarded to the best schoolboy cricketer in the UK. Varma was actually one of four boys to be nominated for this award last year when he took 45 wickets. However he narrowly missed out so our hopes are with him to win this time! For those who may not be too familiar with this award, consider it cricket’s equivalent of an Oscar. Previous winners of the award are the likes of cricketing legends such as Jos Butler and Jonny Bairstow and Varma seems to be on the fast track to joining that club.
Varma’s consistent, match-winning performances repeatedly proved to be the point of difference in tight matches. Two matches stood out for the XI. The first was the opening Cowdrey Cup fixture (a tournament between a few of the best cricketing schools in the country) against Charterhouse. It saw a powerful Charterhouse batting line-up take on Eton’s bowling attack. The Charterhouse captain led the charge, and at one moment, he looked to be propelling Charterhouse to a daunting total of over 300 runs. However, Varma thought ‘enough was enough’ and intervened with a magnificent five-wicket haul which dismantled the Charterhouse batting innings and included the prize scalp of their captain. Varma’s performance restricted Charterhouse to 246 runs which allowed Eton’s batsmen to chase the total down and begin the Cowdrey Cup campaign with an important victory.
Then came ‘T20 week’ – a chance for Varma to show off in the shorter format, which he enjoys. Varma led the team to victory in all three matches. In the first game, he opened the batting and much to the despair of the opposition he hit three balls into a local river causing three lost balls within the first ten minutes of the game. Yet, his standout performance came in the final match of the week against the Free Foresters. The Free Foresters had many explosive batters in their ranks. Their batters were no match for Varma as he took numerous wickets in the game, including a game-changing hat trick. Varma led the XI to winning the Silk Trophy (a tournament between Stowe School, Shrewsbury School and South Africa’s St Andrew’s College) for the second year in a row. His efforts, supported by stellar contributions from teammates Amogh K and Alex D, ensured another title for the XI.
Although the cricket season has come to a close and we have bid farewell to many of Eton’s cricket stalwarts, the enthusiasm for the sport remains undiminished. Enthusiastic cricketers will continue honing their skills throughout the Michaelmas and Lent terms, making full use of our excellent indoor facility, Athens, on Thursday evenings. These sessions promise to be high in energy and intensity, as players strive to improve and prepare themselves for the next season, especially with our stand-out coaches – Mr Roberts and Mr Montgomerie.
Looking ahead, we wish Varma the best of luck as he competes in the Grade 1 Premier competition he is playing in Brisbane, Australia. We hope to see him victorious in the Wisden Award next April, as well as his future cricket endeavours.
