Ollie Sykes, who was inducted into Surrey Academy in 2023, has been named the 2024 Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year.
Awarded for his excellent performances for Tonbridge School, scoring 935 runs and taking 30 wickets across the season, Sykes joins a star-studded list of awardees that includes names such as Jos Buttler, Leicestershire’s James Taylor, and Jonny Bairstow.
Sykes joined Surrey at the age of seven and has played age-group cricket for the Club ever since. Last season, he featured in the Surrey u18 side that lifted the Vitality County T20 Boys trophy.
“To go all the way up through [the age groups] and then into the Academy last year was pretty awesome! It’s amazing to be training here at the Oval,” says Sykes.
Predominantly a batter, 2023 saw Sykes pile up big runs on multiple occasions, including 148 against Harrow, 157 against MCC, and a T20 150 against Brighton College.
Last season, Sykes played for Dulwich CC in the AJ Sports Surrey Championship, scoring over 250 runs for his club at an average of 50.60. This season, the batting allrounder will be switching to Reigate Priory CC.
Sykes was recently presented with the award during the launch ceremony of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack 2024 at Lord’s. “I first found out at Christmas… When my mum and dad told me, I was just shocked, to be honest. I couldn’t believe it. I had a slight tear in my eye. It’s obviously a massive honour and great news to share with the family!” recalls Sykes.
“The award ceremony was pretty surreal. I turned up and within two minutes, Mark Wood turned up… that was pretty cool, and then I had a chat with Mike Atherton and Devon Malcolm and people like that. I couldn’t really believe I was in that sort of environment, to be honest.”
Talking about his introduction to cricket, Sykes shares: “My dad got me into cricket when I was real young, on the beach down in Wales, and I fell in love with it! Apparently, I never used to watch any cartoons or anything, just watched the old Ashes!”
Chris Taylor, Head of Talent Pathway at Surrey CCC, says: “Ollie is such a promising prospect. He is a destructive top-order batter who can positively influence the game across all formats. He’s a hard-working young player, who is very keen to keep learning and improving.
“I am very pleased for Ollie for winning this prestigious award. I look forward to seeing him build on his last season’s performances and work towards his goal of earning a professional contract.”
