CLECKHEATON'S long-serving secretary and scorer Bob Speight last night picked up the Bradford League's most prestigious award – The Sir Leonard Hutton Trophy.

'Speighty', as he is affectionately known, has been the club's official scorer for the past 54 years, apart from a two-year stint as a player in the second team, which ended in 1975, and an even shorter break due to family and work commitments when he walked around the boundary edge.

However, these were only brief sojourns away from where many people believe he belongs at Moorend – in the scorebox – while has also been club secretary for exactly 26 years, three of which were in a joint capacity.

Bob may not be as strong and sturdy as he was once was but, due to his faithfulness, it is small wonder that the Bradford League wanted to make him the latest in a long line of stalwarts they have honoured with their premier trophy.

He has also been the league's assistant secretary and has scored for the league's representative team and the Yorkshire Cricket Board XI when they played in the NatWest Trophy.

The important Clubmark accreditation, which Cleckheaton have recently renewed, also owes a great deal to Bob's tireless work, while in addition he is an expert on cutting through the red tape and dealing with the important paperwork required to satisfy the UK Border Agency and ECB regarding overseas player.

As if all this wasn't enough, Cleckheaton Cricket Club's book celebrating 150 years at Moorend was collated and written by Bob, while he also gives up his time to organise sponsorship deals for his club, as well as assisting with many of their fund-raising activities,

When it is said that something or someone is priceless, that sentiment should not be underestimated because to those that follow Cleckheaton Cricket Club, Bob Speight is truly valuable and an absolute diamond – and a worthy recipient of a wonderful award.

Meanwhile, Hanging Heaton cricket secretary Andrew Hunt received the JCT600 Unsung Hero award for their successful staging of the Priestley Shield final between Pudsey St Lawrence and Bradford and Bingley, while the Bennett Lane club also won the Tom Mathers Most Improved Ground trophy.

Pudsey St Lawrence opener Mark Robertshaw was the JCT600 Players' Player of the Year winner and won the WH Foster Jubilee Trophy for the best Division One first-team batting average, both for the second straight season, and the Stafford Heginbotham Tebro Trophy for the highest batting aggregate in Division One and Division Two.

Woodlands' left-arm spinner Chris Brice picked up two awards – the WH Foster Jubilee Trophy for the best Division One first-team bowling average, which he had previously won in 2008, and the Stafford Heginbotham Castle Trophy for most wickets, which he last won in 2010.

Morley's young all-rounder Ben Jenkinson was named Gordon Bowers Young Cricketer after winning the Michael Fearnley Memorial Trophy for topping the Division Two bowling averages,

Gomersal won the Albert Smith Spirit of Cricket award for the first time while, Robertshaw and Brice apart, five players picked up trophies they had claimed before.

Pudsey Congs' Nick Lindley retained the Abe Waddington Fielding Trophy, while others to retain their silverware were New Farnley's Craig Russell (Mick Illingworth Safe Glove Trophy for most second-team stumpings), Lightcliffe's Suleman Khan (Division One all-rounder) and Undercliffe's Amir Hussain (Young Spin Bowler of the Year), while Bankfoot's Rob Ellis won the Division Two Federation Fielding trophy for the fourth time.