STEVE WHITWAM has been voted the best Drakes League all-rounder – for a fifth successive season!
The talented Golcar player was the League’s top run-scorer with 1,177 last summer and weighed in with 66 wickets for the Sykes Cup winners, who finished ninth in the Premiership.
Those victims came at an average of 16.56 for the former Scholes player, who is known universally as Cobber thanks to his Australian upbringing (near Melbourne).
Whitwam will receive the Jack Gledhill Memorial Trophy once again at the League’s annual dinner in January when one of England’s top all-rounders of all time, Alex Stewart, is the main guest.
When the League executive came to making their decision, Whitwam beat off competition from the likes of Iqbal Khan, whose 1,119 runs at 79.82 gave him the League batting prize and whose 41 wickets for Scholes (at 17.93) helped them to the title and a record points haul of 120.
Barkisland’s Alex Scholefield was another in contention with more than 1,000 runs and 40 wickets, while Skelmanthorpe keeper Max Joice was in the running with 707 runs in the top flight (they were runners-up) and a tremendous 46 victims behind the sticks (40 catches and six stumpings).
The top contender from the Conferences was Hoylandswaine’s John Ashton.
He will be in the Premiership next season with the benefit of 952 runs and 49 wickets under his belt last summer.
The winners of the Johnny Hunter Rosebowls have also been decided.
These are for the best match-winner performances in first XI and second XI cricket.
Shepley’s Danny Glover won the first-team trophy for his tremendous display against Honley.
Defending a total of just 123, skipper Glover claimed 8-57 in 15.5 excellent overs to bowl out their Premiership rivals for just 96.
In the Seconds, the prize went to Lepton’s Dave Mellor, for a magnificent batting performance at No11 against Clayton West in April.
Chasing a Clayton total of 222, Lepton were 89-9 with No5 Matthew Halliwell and last man Mellor at the wicket. Mellor hit 84 not out to clinch a sensational victory.
As the Drakes League is being reorganised into three straight divisions from next season – the Premiership, Championship and Conference – some new trophies are required for the middle section.
A total of eight trophies will be needed in all and the League executive hope these can be donated on behalf of people who have had a long association with cricket in Huddersfield.
Umpire Ron Tindall has started the ball rolling by presenting a trophy to the best Championship bowler and the League hope other backers will get in touch to provide and put their names to the new trophies.
