Aaryan Sawant, English Lion, Scores a Hundred!
The Merchant Taylors' 2024 season was one of the most successful in recent memory. The 1st XI reached the semi-finals of the National Schools T20 competition, coming within a whisker of a National Final at the Home of Cricket: Lords. However, it was last year’s 1st XI captain and alumnus, Aaryan Sawant, who has stolen the most recent headlines and brightened up the cold and wet winter months.
After finishing at School last Summer, Aaryan put pen to paper to sign his first professional contract with Middlesex County Cricket Club (CCC). Strong contributions throughout the Summer for the County culminated in a remarkable match against a strong Yorkshire 2nd XI side, where he scored 72 (97) in the 1st Innings and a spellbinding 173* (198) in the 2nd innings, helping Middlesex secure an unlikely victory by 3 wickets.
Aaryan, who displayed exceptional skill and determination on and off the field in his final years at school, saw his efforts recognised as he earned a well-deserved place with the England Young Lions for their tour South Africa in early December last year. It was on this 3-week high-performance tour that Aaryan trained alongside some of the brightest young talent in the Country. He relished the opportunity and to his surprise he was later asked to train with the England Lions who were out in South Africa at the same time. In an internal match between the squads, Aaryan scored an impressive 106* from 90 balls.
Aaryan’s remarkable year didn’t finish there though! He brought the New Year in with his first international call-up, being selected to represent England Under 19 in the One Day Junior Internationals in January 2025. This enormous achievement marked a major milestone in his career as he donned the national colours for the first time. His ability to adapt to the pressure of international competition was clear, and he contributed to the team’s success.
By his own admissions, Aaryan didn’t score as heavily as he would have wanted in the game, yet he remained a key part of the squad, on and off the field. Although disappointed with his scores, the Selectors had faith in him and Aaryan was given his England U19 Junior Test debut in Stellenbosch on January 26th. Aaryan went on to score 9 and 11 in his two innings, getting out in the second innings in highly controversial manner, striking the ball of a close fielder’s helmet for it to ricochet back and hit the stumps with Aaryan out of his ground – he was deemed by the umpires to have been run out!
It was in this week’s 2nd Junior Test match that Aaryan made his greatest contribution. In what was a historic moment for both him and the team, Aaryan scored an outstanding 130 runs, contributing to the win. His innings and Player-of-the-Match award was not only a personal achievement but also a statement of his readiness to compete at the highest levels of cricket.
Aaryan will no doubt look back at the series with real pride, having proven himself to be one of the brightest young talents in English Cricket. His journey from 1st XI captain to an England U19 representative in less than six months, culminating in his One Day International and Junior Test debuts, is nothing short of extraordinary. We cannot wait to watch what the future holds for such a talented OMT.
