KEN Firth, who is stepping down as the Dales Council League’s fixtures and registrations secretary after 14 years, has received the league’s most prestigious honour - the Geoff Cope Trophy - at the league’s annual dinner and prize presentation at Weetwood Hall.
Apart from writing a weekly report on matches played in the league, Firth has also battled over many years to sort out the league’s fixtures, often drafting over 30 sets of fixtures before coming to a satisfactory conclusion.
“I think they are trying to butter me up for next season,” laughed Firth.
Thornbury picked up three awards, winning the B Division batting trophy, the Gordon Hay Memorial Trophy for senior fielding and the Roy Webster senior wicket-keeping trophy, in addition to their usual Steve Raistrick Memorial Trophy as the leading second team.
Yassir Abbas lifted the B Division batting trophy with 922 runs at an average of 70.92, including three centuries, the best of which was 162.
Keeper Asim Yasin picked up 25 victims (23 catches and two stumpings) to win the Roy Webster senior trophy, while Hamzah Azeem won the senior fielding trophy.
Rodley’s Jack Bleasby picked up two awards - the junior all-rounder and the Les Thompson Young Player of the Year.
He scored 287 runs at an average of 28.70 and took 20 wickets at an average of 11.45.
Calverley St Wilfrids also collected two junior awards - the junior batting via Harry Jarvis and the most promising junior via Joseph Clayson.
Jarvis scored 227 runs at an average of 37.83.
Cookridge won the Dales Council Umpires’ Association Sportsmanship Trophy, St Chads Broomfield B winning the equivalent Les Bulmer Trophy for lower teams.
Interlink’s Asif Sheikh lifted the A Division batting trophy, scoring 503 runs at an average of 71.86, including a best score of 117 not out.
Sheikh also made another ton and had an impressive strike rate of 138.19.
Mayfield’s Mohammed Amin Kumar hit the fastest 50, off just 21 balls, while West Bowling’s Waris Taymour Awan won the Roy Webster Memorial Shield for junior wicket-keeping with eight catches and six stumpings.
Muff Field won the Alan Lee Memorial Trophy for best teas.
Thornbury were also re-presented with the Pool Paper Mills Cup.
Leeds Gladiators were the most prolific winners, receiving seven trophies in addition to being re-presented with the D Division trophy via their third team, whose players swept the board in terms of fourth-tier awards.
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