The Nursery Pavilion at Lord’s was the venue for Middlesex’s Annual Players’ End of Season Awards lunch last Friday, as over 450 members, sponsors, guests, players, staff and Executive Board members gathered to celebrate the very best individual performances of the summer.
Sky Sports News presenter David Fulton was the event host, and he, ably supported by Guest Speaker Geoff Miller, kept the guests entertained throughout what was a thoroughly enjoyable end of season event.
It was a day to remember for all-rounder James Harris, who walked away with three top awards on the day - the Bowling Performance of the Year, for his 7 for 73 against Northants in the Championship, the Players’ Player of the Year award, as voted for by his teammates, and finally the Middlesex Men’s Player of the Year award – as voted for by the club.
His hat-trick of honours was nearly matched by Women’s all-rounder and fifty over captain Naomi Dattani, who scooped two awards – the Odendaal Diamonds Player of the Month award for August, and the Women’s Player of the Year award.
Also picking up a double was Paul Stirling, whose brilliant 58 ball innings of 109 against Surrey at the Oval earned him the Batting Performance of the Year award, whilst his overall efforts over the club’s two white ball campaigns earned him the White Ball Cricketer of the Year award.
Max Holden’s consistent start to what we all hope will be a long and successful Middlesex career earned him the award for the season’s Emerging Player, whilst Ethan Bamber’s brilliant 28 wicket haul in his first six Championship matches were enough to earn him the Player of the Month Award for September.
The 2018 Players’ Awards list in full is as follows:
Brooks Macdonald September Player of the Month – Ethan Bamber
Odendaal Diamonds July Women’s Player of the Month – Bhavika Gajipra
Odendaal Diamonds August Women’s Player of the Month – Naomi Dattani
John Bugden Memorial Trophy (Bowling Performance of the Year) – James Harris
Geoff Norris Batting Performance Awards – Paul Stirling
Players’ Player of the Year – James Harris
Youth Player of the Year – Rishi Wijeratne
Female Youth Player of the Year – Sonali Patel
Emerging Player of the Year – Max Holden
White Ball Cricketer of the Year – Paul Stirling
Disability Player of the Year – Asif Gul Abassi
Women’s Player of the Year – Naomi Dattani
Player of the Year – James Harris