WINDHILL may have had a season to forget in the JCT600 Bradford League, finishing bottom of Division Two, but they made up for it at last night's annual dinner at the Cedar Court Hotel.

Not only did the Busy Lane club pick up the Albert Smith Spirit of Cricket Award but they also won the Sir Leonard Hutton Trophy for outstanding service to the league, courtesy of Colin Gatenby.

League president Keith Moss said: "Colin, now into his 81st year, has been associated with Windhill Cricket Club for over 40 years.

"During this period he has been involved as committee member, cricket secretary, groundsman and scorer, as well as being part of the Bradford Cricket League executive committee for a number of years.

"His dedication, passion and unselfishness make his contribution to the club all the more remarkable, given that he has never even played the game that we all love – at any level."

Moss added: "Besides his love of cricket, Colin also helped socially by being the person responsible for calling out the bingo numbers on a Sunday night for the older members of the club, as well as helping to run the single-number draw on a Sunday lunchtime.

"On the funnier side, on one occasion at the ground, Colin, as usual, decided to 'brew up' as Billy Evans was working on the far side of the ground.

"Colin motioned to Billy that he was putting the kettle on. Now, unbeknown to Colin, Billy had already broken up a Bovril cube into his mug, but Colin didn't know this and proceeded to add milk and sugar. The look on Billy's face was a picture when he realised what Colin had done.

"Another of Colin's more senior moments involved a wheelbarrow and some paint. Gordon Binns was rolling the wicket and Colin was marking out the popping crease, yet Colin decided to leave the wheelbarrow and the paint right behind the roller and Gordon obviously didn't see it as he was driving backwards and demolished the lot. Colin was not amused!

"Colin also loves a game of snooker but is the only person we know who can go to play with running side and end up playing check side – not even Steve Davis can do that!

"I am sure you will all agree that he is a worthy recipient of the Sir Leonard Hutton Trophy for the 2014 season."

The JCT600 Unsung Hero Award went, for the first time, to more than one person – Keighley's husband-and-wife stalwarts Keith and Lesley Robinson, who have now retired from active service at Lawkholme Lane, and their youngest son Richard, who is a dab hand at looking after several Bradford League grounds.

Brighouse won the Tom Mathers Award for most improved ground, while Mark Robertshaw of Pudsey St Lawrence was the Players' Players of the Year.

Undercliffe's Amir Hussain took not only the Gordon Bowers Young Cricketer of the Year Award but the Ernest Lodge Trophy for young spin bowler of the year.