7:35pm Monday 9th August 2010
By Bill Marshall
Brian Wheeler, of the Airedale Junior Cricket League, and Idle Cricket Club’s first-team scorer Maureen Walker have both been given OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket Award) by the Yorkshire Cricket Board.
Wheeler, who also represents the Aire-Wharfe Cricket Development Group, the West Yorkshire Women’s and Girls and the Halifax Cricket League, won the Leagues and Boards award.
His nomination read: “Brian is nominated for his dedication and commitment to junior cricket development in the Airedale-Wharfedale and West Yorkshire areas.
“He is chairman of the Airedale Junior Cricket League, and has been for many years, introducing under-11 cricket in 1998 to add to the under-13s, under-15s and under-17s’ structure.
“Then, in 2003, he encouraged clubs to support an under-nines league. He is also manager of the leagues and area’s under-13 team in the Yorkshire Lord’s Taverners inter-league competition.
“He is especially supportive of girls cricket and has helped some clubs put girls-only teams into the league with a year’s advantage in the playing qualifications.”
The nomination continued: “He is secretary of the West Yorkshire Women and Girls’ Cricket Development Group, overseeing the excellent development of the area through accessing grants and developing coaching initiatives.
“He has helped many clubs form junior sections. He is also secretary of the Airedale and Wharfedale Cricket Development Group, ensuring good practice is spread across the area and organising coaching, scoring, first aid and safeguarding courses.
“Brian is also treasurer of the Yorkshire Cricket Association (representing clubs and league on the board).
"He is a past secretary of Yorkshire Women’s Cricket Association and now sits on the Yorkshire Cricket Board as chairman of the Yorkshire Women’s sub-committee.”
Runner-up was Ian Livesey of the Halifax and Huddersfield Area Cricket Council.
Walker, joint winner of the services to scoring category, has been scoring for over 40 years, including 15 years at Laisterdyke and for the last 21 years with Idle’s first team.
Her nomination reads: “Although she has now retired from full-time employment and moved to Knaresborough, she continues to carry out her duties and assisting the club.
“During her time scoring at Idle, she has taught a number of their junior members scoring, who have gone on to score and play at the club.”
The other winner was John Durgan of Mytholmroyd Cricket Club.
Green Lane’s Tommy Powell was runner-up in the Services to Groundsmanship category.
His nomination reads: “Tommy Powell has been a loyal member of Green Lane Cricket Club for 44 years and has been groundsman for the last 40 years, as well as spells as both first XI and second XI captain.
“He is also a qualified coach with a lifetime of committee work. He is known throughout the league as a groundsman and works on a number of other grounds in the area, which are all highly commended across the Aire-Wharfe League, and has had a huge influence on the improvement of many grounds and squares.”
The winner was Tom Thorpe of Copley Crkcket Club.
Bowling Old Lane’s Michael Hope was runner-up in the Behind The Scenes category.
His nomination states: “Michael has had a life-long connection to Bowling Old Lane Cricket Club, starting out as a player before progressing to committee member, secretary and now club chairman.
“He has also been involved with junior cricket for many years and has been the chairman of the Bradford Junior League for the last 30 years, as well as representing that league on the Joe Lumb Competition.
He is still the bedrock at Bowling Old Lane, for which he is really honoured.”
Winner was Brian Calverley of Hunslet Nelson Cricket Club and the Heavy Woollen Junior Cricket League.
Farid Karolia, of the Batley and Dewsbury area, won the Services to Black Minority Ethnic Crkcket award.
His nomination reads: “He has always been a member of the YCB Black Minority Ethnic Cricket Forum and, despite some health problems, he has always managed to show a brave face and coach and manage teams in the Dewsbury’s Batley area at Mount, and now at Batley.
“Over the years, he has shown how cricket can break down social and cultural barriers, and he has done this over the years with his mild manner and his willingness to put himself forward on committees and leagues in order to further the game of cricket. “He was one of the founding members of the Dewsbury BME Development centre, and the dedication and community links with the local community at the Dewsbury/Batley area has been invaluable.”
Runner-up was Alph Weekes of Caribbean Cricket Club.
The ceremony took place at the Bradford & Bingley Yorkshire Cricket Centre, with board chairman Philip Radcliffe, vice-chairman Albert Pattison, director of development Andrew Watson and ECB regional manager Phil Nedley presenting the awards.
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