Further awards given at the 2022 annual Swardeston CC awards dinner at Number 47 St Giles were as follows.
Players of the year were also honoured, see separate report.
The trophy for the most outstanding performance of the year was awarded to Matthew Taylor for his fantastic batting in the Cecil Amey Norfolk Cricket Alliance match v eventual champions Ashmanaugh and Barton Wanderers.
Chasing Wanderers 285-7, batting at four Matthew entered the fray at 14-2. Partnerships with others had edged Swardeston close to their target but facing the last over with runs still needed. Matthew produced a feat of skill and big hitting to take his team to victory with just one ball to spare.
He hit successive sixes off balls four and five to finish the game on an unbeaten 126 from 112 balls having hit 10 boundaries and five sixes in total.
Club President Peter Thomas said the season had brought many candidates for the award but he felt Matthew deserved to be named the outright winner for 2022.
Tom Bailey was the winner of the Neville Herathge Trophy for the outstanding youth player of the year.
Peter Thomas said that Tom had a good season in the 2nd XI and was developing into a fine cricketer. He had been a key player for the Swardeston CEYMS Sharks Under-19 team who went on to lift the Norfolk Vitality Club Under-19 Trophy for the fourth year running. With usual skipper Toby Duncan unavailable Tom stepped in as captain and lead the side to overcome two strong teams in Downham Stow and North Runcton on finals day.
Tom hit 305 runs across the season with two fifties with a top score of 56. He took 15 wickets with a best of 3-18 and followed it up with a 51* (retired) from 42 balls in the U-19s match against a strong Norwich side. He also took nine catches across the season.
John Betts Cup – Outstanding performance of the year: Matthew Taylor
Neville Herathge Trophy – Most outstanding youth player: Tom Bailey
The evening was got underway by George Walker who ran a ‘novel’ heads and tails featuring facts and figures from the club’s 2022 statistics. The first prize was won by Jade Taylor.
Philip Sturman Memorial Trophy
The club was delighted to welcome Sheila Sturman, daughter Sally Anne and son Andrew once more to the annual presentation awards dinner.
They were there to present for the second time a trophy the Sturman family has donated to the club in memory of Sheila’s husband Phil who passed away in September 2020.
Phil was a former Swardeston committee and club member forever remembered for the lasting legacy he left behind – the building of the scorebox which sits proudly at the top of The Common.
The winner of the trophy which is for the best young player at Under-16 level was awarded to Lawry Williams for the second year running. On the night Lawry was also named the Swardeston CEYMS Sunday player of the year, taking home the Peter Thomas Trophy.
- Huge thanks to Dale Clarke for the photographs.
