A BRADFORD man who has put almost 50 years' service into his club has earned a top county honour.

Mohammed Shafique won the Yorkshire Cricket Board's Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards (OSCA) for Services to Black Minority Ethnic cricket (MBE) – the Numan Shabbir Syed Award – at a ceremony at Headingley Stadium.

Involved with Bradford Mutual Sunday School League club Bradford Gymkhana for almost 50 years, 75-year-old Shafique also picked up that league's top honour – the Leslie B Briggs Trophy – last winter.

His OSCA citation read: "There are people who quietly get on with their job, going ahead in an efficient and unassuming way, gaining satisfaction and the respect from all that come into contract with him.

"Mohammed Shafique is that man – utterly reliable and a true gentleman.

"In the Bradford Mutual Sunday School League, he is highly regarded for the methodical way he umpires, but also a man who gains total respect from all the league teams and players he comes into contact with, ensuring that the game is played in a fair and sporting manner."

Shafique, known as 'Mr Gymkhana', started his playing career at Bowling Old Lane before becoming a Gymkhana member in 1971 and played for many years there before hanging up his boots to "put something back into the game he loves".

He has now been officiating in the league for over 25 years.

The aftermath of the Boxing Day floods in 2015 led to joint awards for two affected clubs – Sowerby Bridge and Tong Park Esholt – in the Get The Game On category.

The ground at Esholt not only ended up with caravans on the playing area but the clubhouse, square, outfield, electronic scoreboard, tackle shed and artificial pitch suffered extensive damage.

A contaminated outfield and damaged playing area meant the club had to play the 2016 season at Tong Park, while David Young took charge of the recovery operation at Esholt, initially pumping thousands of gallons of water off the ground.

Then came the negotiations with their insurance officials, Bradford Council, the ECB and other agencies. It was a long and relentless process before funding was secured to restore the ground to its former glory.

Young has been called the lifeblood of the club for demonstrating "incredible dedication, resilience, skill and leadership" and it was a proud moment when Tong Park Esholt returned 'home' to face Calverley in mid-June.

David 'Spud' Stoyles (Sowerby Bridge) won the Services to Groundsmanship section, with that club also returning home during the 2017 season.

Steve Bradbury is another Bradford League club stalwart who has been honoured – in the Lawrence Walker Ward for Club Development.

Involved with Rodley for 30 years as first or second-team captain, secretary, treasurer, junior manager, coach, umpire, scorer, cricket chairman, he is now coach of the under-13s and under-15s, umpire, chairman, groundsman and development team captain, introducing juniors to senior cricket.

He has also been league representative, league secretary, league fixture secretary, league webmaster and Area Cricket Council secretary.

Since taking over the club chairmanship in 2012, Stoyles has overseen negotiations with a local building college for the club's first proper clubhouse and pavilion and has set up a thriving junior section.

Mount is another Bradford League club to be honoured – via Abdul Ravat in the Heartbeat of the Club category and father and son Hasan and Yusuf Fadia as the Brian Stone Family Club of the Year.

Development officer at his club, Ravat, as a Unity Enterprise board member, has brought the Muslim, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths together in the 'Light of Faith Tour' involving matches against the Archbishop of Canterbury's XI and St Peter's XI of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Vatican.

The Fadias have not only established junior cricket at Mount, including an annual girls' tournament, but also provided opportunities for girls from the South Asian community and for children with disabilities, such as Down's Syndrome.

They have also welcomed a name-drop list of guests to the club, including Shahid Afridi, 'Dickie' Bird and the ECB's Lord Patel.

Former Bradford League secretary Bob Shackleton was highly commended in the Lifetime Achiever category.

Initially Cleckheaton's secretary, he became Bradford League secretary in 1985, organising their cup finals and the annual dinner and maintaining a high level of administration.

He also compiled the league's fixtures, ran their results service and compiled the handbook, managed the White Rose team and represented the league on bodies such as the West Yorkshire Area Cricket Council, the Yorkshire Cricket Board leagues' committee and the White Rose Trophy committee.

Made the league's chief executive in 2005, he became administration executive in 2013 and has for 20 years been president of the Black Sheep Yorkshire Champions' Trophy, having been on the committee for the previous 20 years.

The Halifax League did well in general, with the league itself winning the Stuart Hodgson Award, and the Calderdale Cricket Development Group, which attends their league meetings, the George Reah Award for special services to cricket.

Yorkshire Cricket Board chairman Chris West, who hosted the awards, said: ''It is humbling and inspiring to hear of the commitment and energy being given voluntarily to the game of cricket.

"Similarly, the way our game has helped individuals to find something special to them and overcome personal barriers is remarkable.''