CAOKS Cricket vs King’s 1st XI

On Friday 19th June, we proudly hosted the CAOKS Cricket Team for the annual fixture against King’s 1st XI.

CAOKS batted first and opened with recent leavers Rohith Muthuvelu and Will Evans, who made a solid start before Maaz Afridi (L6) bowled Muthuvelu with a beauty. Evans, however, continued to play a superb innings for CAOKS, reaching a well-deserved half-century before eventually being dismissed by King’s captain Harry Graham for an excellent 54. Evans received little support from the other end, with wickets falling regularly thanks to outstanding spells of bowling from Abhishek Aravind (3-19) and Harry Graham (4-16). CAOKS were eventually dismissed for 125 in 33.3 overs.

During the lunch interval, Upper Sixth leavers Harry Graham and Oscar Wallis were proudly presented with their Cricket Colours Caps by Mr Lunn, Director of Sport, in recognition of their outstanding commitment to school cricket over seven years and their contributions to the 1st XI throughout the Sixth Form.

In reply, King’s made a nervous start, losing both openers cheaply to Chris Hudson, who produced an outstanding spell of 4-16 for CAOKS, well supported by James Andrade (1-23). Ben Pold (29) then counter-attacked to swing the momentum back in King’s favour before another cluster of wickets left CAOKS in control. The match was ultimately decided by an impressive unbeaten partnership of 70 between Maaz Afridi (50 not out) and Abhishek Aravind (20 not out), guiding King’s to a four-wicket victory.

As always, the fixture was played in tremendous spirit and proved to be a fitting celebration of cricket and the enduring bond between the School and its alumni.

This year, we were delighted to welcome Geoffrey Eastway OKS, who travelled from Cork to umpire the match, alongside the ever-reliable Saul Marks OKS in the scorebox. Reflecting on the day, Geoffrey said:

“It was an absolute privilege to umpire the School vs Old Boys match. There was a warm welcome, great conviviality, generous hospitality and the spirit of cricket on display from start to finish. It was a genuinely good match, showcasing excellent fast bowling, thoughtful spin, fine batting, outstanding catching and solid defense. I felt very proud to have had the chance to be involved, and it served as a powerful reminder of the richness of opportunity that a King’s School education has afforded me.”

We are extremely grateful to Geoffrey and Saul for giving their time and expertise to make the day such a success. Special thanks also go to David Atkin OKS for once again bringing together the CAOKS side as match manager, and to all the CAOKS players who returned to reconnect with the School through this much-valued annual fixture.

We look forward to welcoming the CAOKS back next year for another memorable and enjoyable day of cricket.

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