The Sir Jack (John) Hobbs Silver Jubilee Memorial Prize
The Most Outstanding Under 16 Schoolboy Cricketer in England
2025 Winner: Oliver Sutton (Wallasey C.C. and Cheshire)
The Sir Jack Hobbs Silver Jubilee Memorial Prize is nominated by the General Secretary of the English Schools Cricket Association. Sir John Hobbs, always known as Jack, played for Surrey from 1905-34 and for England in 61 Test Matches. With a Test Match average of 67 it is hardly surprising that one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket was known as The Master. Something for our Award Winners of this Memorial Prize to aspire to.
Oliver Sutton is the 2025 winner of the Sir Jack Hobbs award for the most outstanding Under16 schoolboy cricketer in England.
Oliver plays for Cheshire Cricket Board U16 team and for Wallasey Cricket Club in the Liverpool Competition but does not have the chance to play cricket at school. He has, however, two distinct advantages: firstly, his father Richard is a keen cricketer, and they often play in the same Wallasey CC team (In 2023 they shared all ten wickets in a 2XI game v Birkenhead Park CC); secondly Oliver lives next to the Wallasey CC ground, so being able to practice and enjoy good facilities is a given.
In the 2025 season Oliver took 32 wickets at 11.81 for the Cheshire U16 team including 7-29 v Northumberland, 4-16 v Lincolnshire and 4-43 v Yorkshire. He is a leg-spinner who delivers a range of stock balls, top spinners, googlies and sliders.
Oliver also took 44 wickets for Wallasey across their 1XI and 2XI teams in 2025. He finished the season playing against Wigan CC 1XI who included Matt Critchley, Essex all-rounder and Aaron Redmond, former New Zealand Test cricketer in their line-up. Oliver was not over-awed in the slightest.
The photograph shows Oliver receiving his award from Alec Stewart at the society’s Annual Awards Lunch at the Union Jack Club, London, on Thursday, 6th November.
Past Winners
2024: Seth Essenhigh (King's School & Worcestershire)
2023: Romano Franco (Hawarden Cricket Club in the North Wales League)
2022: Farhan Ahmed (Cavaliers & Carrington CC)
2019: James Coles (Magdalen College School)
2018: Jacob Bethell (Rugby School)
2017: Rishi Wijeratne (Harrow)
2016: Sam Dorsey (The Swinton HS)
2015: George Lavelle (Merchant's Taylor School)
2014: George Hargrave (Shrewsbury School)
2013: Nick Hammond (King's School, Worcester)
2012: Haseeb Hameed (Bolton School)
2011: Dominic Sibley (Whitgift School)
2010: Kishen Velani (Brentwood School)
2009: Wilf Marriott (Radley)
2008: Sam Kelsall (Moddershall CC)
2007: Imran Hassan (Newport CC)
2006: Zafar Ansari (Hampton School)
2005: Sam Northeast (Harrow)
2004: Greg Wood (Queen Elizabeth GS)
2003: Ben Wright (Cowbridge Comprehensive School)
2002: Phllip Holdsworth (Northallerton School)
2001: Adam Harrison (West Monmouthshire CS)
2000: T.J. New (Quarrydale Comprehensive School)
1999: G. Scott (Hetton Comprehensive School)
1998: N. Peng (Newcastle Royal Grammar School)
1997: M. Dobson (Frederick Gough School)
1996: J.D. Francis (King Edward VI School, Soton)
1995: R. Dawson (Batley Grammar School)
1994: S.D. Peters (Coopers School)
Past Winners (continued)
1993: D.J.G. Sales (Caterham School)
1992: L. Sutton (Millfield School)
1991: R.W. Nowell (Trinity School)
1990: R.M.S.Weston (Durham School)
1989: M.J. Walker (King's School, Rochester)
1988: J.N. Snape (Denstone College)
1987: J.P. Crawley (Manchester Grammar School)
1986: P.C.L. Holloway (Millfield School)
1985: M.R. Ramprakash (Gayton High School)
1984: H.R.J. Trump (Millfield School)
1983: M.A. Atherton (Manchester Grammar School)
1982: A.J. Goldsmith (Seaford College)
1981: G.V. Palmer (Queen's College, Taunton)
1980: N.J. Lenham (Brighton College)
1979: R.J. Bailey (Biddulph High School)
1978: R.J. Maru (Rooksheath High School)
1977: M.J. Shults (Framlingham College)
1976: A.P. Arundell (Ilkley Grammar School)
1975: K.J. Barnett (Leek Grammar School)
1974: R.T. Robinson (Manshead School, Luton)
1973: C.S. Cowdrey (Tonbridge School)
1972: M.W. Gatting (John Kelly Boy's High School)
1971: P.M. Roebuck (Millfield School)
1970: N.J. Archer (Queen Mary's GS, Walsall)
