2025 was another successful season for Esher 5s, once again providing a pathway for talented junior cricketers to experience senior league cricket. Also providing the opportunity to entice more experienced gentlemen back to the allures of the game. The 2025 campaign ended in a well-deserved promotion into a higher division for the second successive year, ensuring greater challenge and demanding even higher standards in 2026.
As ever, it was a season of 2 halves, with the front 9 matches serving up a decidedly mixed bag of results before we won 8 of our last 10 games, the 2 other results on account of cancellation and abandonment. The abandoned result came in our penultimate fixture requiring us to achieve a win from our last match which we thankfully delivered, largely due to a Pullinger father/son 100-run opening partnership. This match, at Kempton CC, was not without drama as we collapsed from 102-1 to 165 all out, before Arjun Tahiliani (3-29) and Rahul De Silva (5-27) retrieved the day amidst chaotic scenes towards the end of the game!
The other stand out match in 2025 has to be our away fixture at Woking & Horsell, where we found ourselves at 12 for 5 within 10 minutes of the start having succumbed to a hat-trick from the oppo’s u13 opening bowler. Cometh the hour, cometh the men in Ben Frendo and Joe Goodsman who diligently and conscientiously rescued us with a 160-run 6th wicket stand [is this an Esher 6th wicket partnership record??]. Goodsman ending on 85 (including 9 fours and 2 sixes) and Frendo carrying his bat unbeaten on 76 tells you not everything about the state of the pitch that day, where only one other managed double figures. The day belonged to Goodsman who finished with 3-8 bowling figures whilst also impacting the game (and the concentration of certain batters) from short leg.
Several match winning knocks also need to be called out, all of which contributed to our league promotion. Ben Frendo’s 115 vs Old Pauline (averaging 85.25), Joe Pullinger’s 100 vs Long Ditton (averaging 59), Andy McCullum’s 95* vs East Molesey (returning to cricket), Kei Lalor’s 90 vs Long Ditton and Thomas Hooke’s 83 vs Woking & Horsell.
Our 2025 season also saw promising league cricket debuts for u14 Rannvj Tomar (7 wkts), u12 Dylan Narinesingh (5 wkts), u14 Tarank Mehta (4 wkts) and Armaan Naviwala (3 wkts). U14 Fraser Bache again proved to be our most consistent young bowler (12 wkts). We look forward to seeing more of these young men next season.
A special thanks must also be given to Sylwia Jencz who is very much part of the team as our regular scorer at both home and away fixtures and the team is always appreciative of her support that allows the players to simply focus on the game.
The breadth of young talent at Esher CC is simply incredible and we will need to continue to nurture and develop our junior cricketers within the ranks of our more experienced heads in 2026 if we are to continue our run of success and make it three back-to-back promotions.
We are always on the lookout for new players to strengthen our ranks so if you are keen to return to cricket or maybe even get a game alongside your son/daughter at some point next year then please do get in touch to become part of a competitive but encouraging lower league team. There will never be a shortage of laughs, comradery and even the occasional spot of match winning drama!
5th XI player of the season
Tim Lenton deservedly won the 2025 Esher 5th XI player of the year award.
Tim is a dependable and reliable clubman who always provides encouragement and support for our younger players. He is a fixture at mid off where the ball will be sent straight over to him so he can work furiously to keep it in its best condition for our bowlers.
He is a captain’s dream, always willing to take responsibility whether it be umpiring duties or bowling through his overs in a single spell from one end. Despite being one of the nicest guys you will meet off the pitch, Tim showed his fiercely competitive edge this season when standing up for our younger players on one fractious afternoon. Ask him about that day when you see him at the bar, you can always rely upon him to be there on Saturday evening after the game!