King's School Rochester Weekly News
Friday 20th March 2026
Howzat! Aanand’s County Call-Up
Huge congratulations to Aanand J (7W) , who has been selected for the U12 Kent Cricket (Central Region) squad. This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to his hard work and dedication on the pitch. We are incredibly proud to see his talent recognised at a county level and look forward to hearing about his progress throughout the season. Well played, Aanand!
Making Waves: KSR’s Schools’ Head Debut
KSR rowing team recently competed in the prestigious Schools Head of the River Race for the very first time, a remarkable achievement in itself.
Considering that this was also our first experience with sweep rowing, the team rose impressively to the challenge. With just three training sessions in an eight and two sessions in a coxed four, their performance was outstanding and showed real determination, teamwork and adaptability.
As one of the largest and most competitive school rowing events in the country, this race provided an invaluable experience. Our rowers represented the School with pride throughout the day on the River Thames, demonstrating commitment and enthusiasm from start to finish.
Well done to everyone involved for a fantastic effort and a memorable day on the water. This marks an exciting step forward for our rowing programme.
Thank you to David Trace for the support on the day and a massive thank you to Gavin Kerr from Cymba Racing for lending us an SL racing eight for the event.
The History of Cricket at KSR
Members of the 1st XI Cricket team joined the Academic Scholars for this week's Zetountes Lecture on the "History of Cricket at King's School" delivered by Mr Chaloner, OR, one of the School's Governors. Drawing on his MA thesis intriguingly entitled “The transformation of English Cricket from 1787 to 1857: From aristocratic gambling to Victorian virtue”, Mr Chaloner outlined the development of cricket at KSR against the wider societal context.
With the first recorded match at King's in 1861, our speaker highlighted the dangers of playing on untended pitches until the Paddock was acquired in 1887. Teams initially included Assistant Masters and pupils, and the standard remained variable although between the wars the numbers swelled, culminating in the "Eleven's" first entry in the Wisden Almanac in 1937. Illustrated with photographs and sketches from the past, Mr Chaloner addressed the current generation of players, who marvelled at the impact of overarm bowling and the thought of playing early matches in the Vines.
With references to the Roffensian cricketers killed in World Wars I and II, including Maurice Miskin, MC, killed in the final weeks of the "Great War", and a later proponent of the game, Matthew Walker, the scorer of 14 centuries for the 1st XI, Mr Chaloner spoke of the evolution of cricket with its focus on the 20:20 format and the development of the women's game. He warmly commended the introduction of girls' cricket at King's and the representation of Hannah Jelfs for Kent Ladies.
Fittingly, the lecture was delivered on the very day that the square underwent its first cut. In the distance, from beyond the grave, there was the sound of a gentle sigh from past stalwarts of the game, Messrs Irvine and Williams, in keen anticipation of the first ball of the new season, but weeks away. Thank you, Mr Chaloner, for your wonderfully illuminating talk.