Forest School Celebrates Another Year of Cricket Excellence and Inclusion in The Cricketer's Schools Guide 2025

Forest School is proud to announce its inclusion in The Cricketer’s Schools Guide 2025, marking another year of outstanding achievements in cricket. This special 10th anniversary edition of the guide highlights the top 100 senior schools for cricket in the UK, and Forest School’s consistent performance has earned it a well-deserved place among the nation’s best.

Exceptional Year for Cricket

The past year has been exceptional for cricket at Forest School, with a total of 168 fixtures played across 26 different teams in the senior school. Success at both county and national levels has been achieved across all age groups, showcasing the School’s passion and strength in cricket. Over 250 pupils participated in fixtures throughout the summer, and cricket activities extended beyond the summer months with a winter cricket programme and a pre-season tour to Dubai for Year 8 and Year 10 pupils.

Remarkable Achievements

Forest School’s cricket programme has seen remarkable achievements last year, further cementing Forest School’s reputation as a cricketing powerhouse:

  • Girls’ 1st XI: Winners of the Essex Cup.
  • U12 Boys: Lifted the Essex Cup.
  • U13 Girls: lifted the Essex Cup.
  • U17 Boys: Reached the top 8 schools in the country.
  • 1st XI Girls: Progressed to the top 16 schools in the country.
  • Hosted an incredible cricket week including a two-day game and the first ever 1st XI match against the MCC at Forest School.

Growth of Girls’ Cricket

The growth of girls’ cricket at Forest School has been particularly noteworthy, with 37 fixtures played last year. The achievements of both younger and older pupils suggest a bright future for girls’ cricket, which is becoming the major summer sport for the lower school. Inspired by seeing former pupil Amu Surenkumar being selected for England U19s in the Cricket World Cup and sign her first professional cricket contract for Warwickshire County Cricket Club.

Special recognition goes to:

  • Prisha Bedi: Plays for Essex Women’s 1st XI and Sunrisers Academy has led the Girls’ 1st XI as captain.
  • Ayaan Malik, Areeb Rashid, and Jeevan Kathuria: Essex Academy and selected to represent Essex 2nd XI.
  • Areeb Rashid selected to be 12th Man for England Test team against West Indies and Sri Lanka.
  • Manveer Kathuria: Awarded a place on Essex Emerging player programme for this year.

 National Recognition

The Cricketer’s Schools Guide 2025 celebrates the UK’s best schools for cricket, with state and independent schools well represented. The guide’s judging panel considered criteria such as commitment to cricket in the curriculum, facilities, fixture programmes, and coaching. Forest School’s inclusion in The Cricketer’s Schools Guide 2025 is a testament to the dedication and hard work of its pupils and coaches. The future looks bright for cricket at Forest School, with many pupils expected to continue shining for club, county, or other teams they represent over the summer.

Tomos Fowler, Head of Cricket at Forest School, commented, “Our inclusion in The Cricketer’s Schools Guide 2025 is a reflection of the dedication and passion of our pupils and coaching staff.  Our exceptional facilities play a crucial role in supporting our cricket programme and enabling our pupils to excel. We are committed to providing high-level coaching and opportunities for all our pupils, and it’s wonderful to see their hard work recognised on a national level.”

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