Photo: Steve Lightfoot of Staffordshire Wolves receives The Charles Ronayne Award for Outstanding Contribution to VI Cricket, from Roger Barker.
When a team matches a record that has stood for 13 years it must be expected this will have required a huge all round team effort and the four awards in this year’s list that went to Sussex players are all richly deserved.
Dave Daniels, an award winner for the sixth year in a row, retained the Total Bowler of the Year Award in a season where the numbers showed he was top bowler: full stop. He finished the season with 19 wickets at strike rate of 21.8; best figures of 5 for 95.
Phil Daniels, was his closest rival and retained the Partial Bowler of the Year Award with 17 wickets at a strike rate of 25.7 and an impressive best of 6 for 26.
Nobody, except Dorset’s gloveman, got even into the shadows of the Wicketkeeper of the Year Si Ledwith who secured a dozen catches, two stumping and three run outs for the Sharks.
Total Fielder of the Year was a close call but the evergreen Ian Morris got the nod ahead of Ameet Amin of Kent Spitfires.
Metro were one of three other clubs to take more than one award with Hardik Patel in his first full season taking the Partial Fielder of the Year; and Mo Ghalib, a past Partial Bowler of the Year winner, securing the Partial Player of the Year Award for a performance that saw him score 308 runs, while taking 10 wicket and 9 catches.
In their first national league season Staffordshire Wolves managed two Player of the Year Awards – Mark Turnham in the Total category who was near the top of the stats in all three disciplines; with 82 runs, 5 wickets and 2 fielding dismissals, while their experienced skipper Mike Harrison was near the top of the stats in two disciplines; with 292 runs and 5 wickets in the Low Partial category.
There was perhaps not that much surprise that Yorkshire’s Lois Turner was Women’s Player of the Year as this makes nine in a row but it was noted if the strong bowling from newcomer Northamptonshire’s Neve Abgeller might see a challenge in another year. Neve and the Sharks’ Deacon Finn were both considered for Most Promising Player of the Year, which was won by the Viling’s Visrat Kumar Bhatti who had a good season helping them win the league, with 146 runs, 4 fielding dismissals and a wicket.
Often listed first the Partial Batter of the Year Award was a difficult one to call as two Sharks topped the runs scored, the season ending with Dan Field on 713 and Si Ledwith on 704, while Thomas Froud of Metro had 564. The award however went to Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ David Howells with only 523 runs but scored at a rate of 183 and an average 261! He scored a first ever cup final double century and also 186 not out to secure a Steelback’s chase against Sussex and thus ensure Division 1 cricket for his team in 2027.
Kent Spitfires’ Moshfique Ahmed took the Total Batter of the Year Award ending the season after the T20 finals with 160 runs including an undefeated half century.
Other Awards
Durham VICC took over as custodians of the prestigious BCEW Spirit of Cricket Award Owl from Kent Spitfires.
BCEW and blind cricket value support that enables our game to flourish and the primary award for this is given in memory of an impressive former player – The Charles Ronayne Award for Outstanding Contribution to VI Cricket. This year’s, well deserved, winner was Steve Lightfoot of Staffordshire Wolves, who has been crucial in establishing the team who have now moved from Development to National level – giving a good account of themselves in their first season and scooping those two player awards.
The second winner of the Pete Marshall Award for Umpire of the Year went to Ian Piggot while the Scorer of the Year was Paul Jordison of Durham.
Players with most wins
Ed Hossell 9
Dave Daniels 9
Lois Turner 9
David Howells 8
Overall Number Won By Each Club
Sussex Sharks 37
Northamptonshire Steelbacks 25
Warwickshire Bears 23
Lancashire Lions 21
London Metro 21