CRICKET’S local stars are set to gather at The Royal Yacht this evening for the 2023 Brooks Macdonald Jersey Cricket Awards.
The main awards, Cricketer of the Year and Women’s Cricketer of the Year, are hotly contested, with both national sides enjoying a stellar 2023 season.
On the men’s side, James Duckett, Elliot Corbel, Dom Blampied and Elliot Miles are all up for prizes.
Duckett took over the Old Victorians captaincy from Luke Gallichan and thrived in the position, leading his team to the Premier T20 title, runners up in the Premier 40-over competition and fourth place in the CI League. He starred with both bat and ball to also gain a nomination for Premier Batter of the Year.
Under his guidance, fellow nominee Corbel flourished, both with the gloves and bat.
An integral part of the OV’s squad behind the stumps, he claimed 21 victims across the season, as well as a string of top performances at the top of the order with the bat. His shining moment of the campaign came in the CI League clash against Cobo, where he scored 105 off 108 balls in a thumping victory.
Corbel has also been nominated for the Batter of the Year prize.
St Ouen’s Blampied is no stranger to the award, having claimed both the main prize and Bowler of the Year in 2019.
The all-rounder led his side to the Premier 40-over crown, with key innings with both bat and ball. The middle-order batter helped his team to a third-place finish in the CI League and ended as the league’s top run scorer with 222, at an outstanding average of 74.
His teammate and fellow spinner Miles rounds out the men’s shortlist.
The St Ouen player celebrated an excellent 2023 campaign in which his left-arm spin made him top wicket-taker in Jersey across all formats. His endeavours with ball in hand have also earned him a Bowler of the Year nomination.
On the women’s side, the shortlist for the grand prize also makes for impressive reading.
Analise Merritt has stood out for the national side as a tall right-arm fast bowler and powerful middle-order batter, with superb capabilities of hitting boundaries and putting bowlers under pressure.
Merritt, 17, has become one of the mainstays in Jersey red, and impressed against Guernsey in the inter-insular series, firing 58 from just 32 balls.
Meanwhile, Aimee Aikenhead is one of the newer members of the national squad. She studied in the UK at boarding school prior to her Jersey call-up.
Aikenhead starred last year as a positive top-order batter, highlighted by an unbeaten 57 against Guernsey in the three-match inter-insular series.
Chloe Greechan has become synonymous with women’s cricket in Jersey. The leader of the side for a number of years now, Greechan has arguably been Jersey’s most influential player in that time. She was the leading wicket taker for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifying tournament hosted in Jersey, taking 11 wickets with her left-arm spin at a staggering economy of just 2.46 runs per over and achieved her first International five-wicket-haul against Sweden.
Last but not least is Grace Wetherall. Another member of the Jersey squad still in her teens, she enjoyed a breakout 2023 campaign with both bat and ball.
Wetherall is a hard-hitting top-order batter and fast bowler who scored an unbeaten 57 off 40 balls against Germany in the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier.
The 2023 edition of the Jersey Cricket Awards sees cricketers from all leagues and formats celebrated.
Nominations in full
Women’s Player of the Year: Analise Merritt, Aimee Aikenhead, Chloe Greechan, Grace Wetherall.
Premier League
Cricketer of the Year: James Duckett (OVs), Elliot Corbel (OVs), Dominic Blampied (SOS), Elliot Miles (SOS).
Young Player of the Year: Charlie Brennan (OVs), Corey Heath (Walkovers), Theo Pullman (OVs), Charlie Best (SOS).
Batsman of the Year: Elliot Corbel (OVs), Dom Blampied (SOS), James Duckett (OVs), James Smith (Farmers).
Bowler of the Year: Elliot Miles (SOS), Joe Bevis (Walkovers), Charlie Best (SOS), Rhys Palmer (Farmers).
Division 1
Player of the Year: Abhishek Hongekar (Royals), Robin Carnegie (Walkovers), Neal Davies (Chirpy’s), Robbie Forrest (SOS).
Young Player of the Year: Jack Stevens (OVs), Jack Gott (Walkovers), James Bradbury (Farmers), Toby Thirkettle (SOS).
Division 2
Player of the Year: Joe De Pina (Walkovers Warriors), Jack Vowden (OVs), Simon Wade (Walkovers Social), Vishal Sancheti (Royals).
Young Player of the Year: Freddie Harben (OVs), Sam Oldham (SOS), Jack Vowden (OVs), Riley Brennan (OVs)
Evening League
Division C POTY: Ben Kynman (Beeches), Talha Nasir (Royals), Josh Simpson (Pirates), Toby Marrett (Walkover Rebels)
Division D POTY: George Moore (OVs), Adam Bradbury (Beeches), Ben Hughes (Spitfires), Armand Fourie (Beeches)
Division E POTY: Tom Sibley (HSBC), Mark Queree (Nondescripts), Alex Williamson (Integritas), Chris Bysouth (Nondescripts)
Volunteer of the Year: Tim Oldham (SOS), Elliot Corbel (OVs), Mikey Pih (Walkovers), Julian Gouge (Farmers), Darshan Fulfagar (Royals)
