Eighteen-year old Dan Escott, pictured, has set a new Winchester College record, scoring 1,096 runs in a season, surpassing the previous best 1,068 made by the Nawab of Pataudi in 1959.
The boy ‘Tiger’ pushed into second place 56 years ago was none other than England ‘Bodyline’ Series captain Douglas Jardine, who had been at Winchester from 1914-19 and scored a record 997 runs in his final year.
Escott became the new record run scorer when he helped Winchester defeat I Zingari in their final match of the season.
He described beating the Nawab’s record as “an amazing feeling and such an honour to be part of Winchester’s history.”
The boy ‘Tiger’ pushed into second place 56 years ago was none other than England ‘Bodyline’ Series captain Douglas Jardine, who had been at Winchester from 1914-19 and scored a record 997 runs in his final year.
Escott became the new record run scorer when he helped Winchester defeat I Zingari in their final match of the season.
He described beating the Nawab’s record as “an amazing feeling and such an honour to be part of Winchester’s history.”
During 2015 Escott, who won his colours in each of his five seasons in the 1st XI, hit five centuries, the highest 179 v the Old Wykehamists and, in a school match, 142 v Marlborough.
He also hit an unbeaten 101 against Eton, a match Winchester lost by two runs.
He is pictured batting in front of Winchester’s electronic scoreboard and homing in on his career best 179 against the Old Wykehamists.
In his five years at Winchester, he totalled 2,762 runs, with seven centuries and has taken over 100 wickets bowling his leg-spin.
The modest teenager, who lives in Southsea, is understandably sad to have played his last match for the College.
“Cricket has been a huge part of the last five years of my life at Winchester and it is one of the things I will miss most about the school.
“I've made fantastic friends, had access to some brilliant coaches and have a lot of happy memories to take away with me.
“Beating Eton in my second year at the school was a real highlight, but breaking the record in my last ever game here was also an amazing feeling.”
Escott has also played in the first pair at the Public Schools rackets championships at Queen’s Club for the past couple of years
He explained: “Rackets is a faster version of squash on a larger court with a harder ball. It is unlike anything else I have ever played but is extremely fun once you get used to it.
“Lots of cricketers have had success in rackets, including Kent’s Sam Northeast, who won the National Singles for Harrow a few years ago.
Graham Watson, Master In Charge of Cricket at Winchester, lavished praise on Escott, saying: “It has been a pleasure to work with a boy so receptive to new ideas and, given his undoubted ability, so modest too.
“I knew when I first spotted him in 2010 that we’d found a special player and it is fitting that he has broken such a longstanding record; not only has he worked relentlessly with Paul Gover, or Head Coach, to improve but he also embodies all that is good about the game”.
Escott hopes to go to Oxford this autumn to read PPE at Lincoln College,
He also hit an unbeaten 101 against Eton, a match Winchester lost by two runs.
He is pictured batting in front of Winchester’s electronic scoreboard and homing in on his career best 179 against the Old Wykehamists.
In his five years at Winchester, he totalled 2,762 runs, with seven centuries and has taken over 100 wickets bowling his leg-spin.
The modest teenager, who lives in Southsea, is understandably sad to have played his last match for the College.
“Cricket has been a huge part of the last five years of my life at Winchester and it is one of the things I will miss most about the school.
“I've made fantastic friends, had access to some brilliant coaches and have a lot of happy memories to take away with me.
“Beating Eton in my second year at the school was a real highlight, but breaking the record in my last ever game here was also an amazing feeling.”
Escott has also played in the first pair at the Public Schools rackets championships at Queen’s Club for the past couple of years
He explained: “Rackets is a faster version of squash on a larger court with a harder ball. It is unlike anything else I have ever played but is extremely fun once you get used to it.
“Lots of cricketers have had success in rackets, including Kent’s Sam Northeast, who won the National Singles for Harrow a few years ago.
Graham Watson, Master In Charge of Cricket at Winchester, lavished praise on Escott, saying: “It has been a pleasure to work with a boy so receptive to new ideas and, given his undoubted ability, so modest too.
“I knew when I first spotted him in 2010 that we’d found a special player and it is fitting that he has broken such a longstanding record; not only has he worked relentlessly with Paul Gover, or Head Coach, to improve but he also embodies all that is good about the game”.
Escott hopes to go to Oxford this autumn to read PPE at Lincoln College,
