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The Hanley Energy Cricket Ireland Awards took place today, with winners from all over the country converging on Dublin to collect their awards at a lunch held in Fallon & Byrne after a season packed full of both club, inter-provincial and international cricket.
Cricket Ireland Chief Executive Warren Deutrom welcomed guests to the awards, opening the event by reminding guests there were questions earlier this year over whether Ireland would be able to recreate the magical moments of previous World Cups in 2015.

“Well, we did. In beating West Indies by 4 wickets with 4 overs to spare – successfully chasing more than 300 for a record 3rd time at World Cups – we once again demonstrated our true quality, and that our potential is limited only by our own narrowness of vision or a lack of opportunity.”

Duetrom also looked to the future commenting on the already busy Men’s schedule for 2016 and beyond.

“Gone are the days – we hope – of being starved of the matches we deserve. Rather than getting 9 or 10 ODIs between World Cups, we look forward to playing at least that number annually.

“Already, we have confirmed ODI’s against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa in 2016, while we are hopeful of securing even more both home and away next year. And we’re also beginning to fill our dance card for the years up to the end of this decade, to enable a degree of certainty to our planning that the Full Members have always enjoyed, but we never have.”

He was also quick to remind people that the Men’s side were not the only ones to have success in 2015 as he highlighted the performances of the Women’s side and wished them good luck in their upcoming World T20 Qualifiers.

“Of course, the men weren’t the only ones running the world champions close this year. During a terrific 3-match T20I series at a mostly sunny YMCA, our senior women gave Australia a real scare at least in the first couple of matches. When you consider that 5 out of our senior squad are teenagers and hail from a small geographical area, it’s clear that the potential for this squad to grow together to take on the world is genuinely exciting.

“We wish Aaron, Isobel and the whole team the very best of luck in the upcoming Women’s World T20 qualifier in Thailand starting in just over a fortnight. It would be great to have both our squads together in India in March next year – just as we did last year in Bangladesh.”

After the welcome the guests enjoyed lunch before awards were handed out to the winners.

After outstanding seasons on the international scene Kim Garth and Ed Joyce were awarded with the Toyota Women’s and Hanley Energy Men’s International Player of the Year awards.

Garth had something of a breakout year for the national side, and even captained the side on several occasions during the county championship campaign, while Joyce wowed fans in Malahide and Windhoek, smashing two double centuries in 2015, making Ireland’s highest individual score in the process.

John Mooney collected the award for Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Player of the Year after scoring the first T20 hundred in the tournament and leading his Lightning side to a treble, winning all three formats in 2015.

Away from senior cricket Varun Chopra won the Castleknock Hotel Junior Player of the Year Award, with Jack Tector taking the Shapoorji Pallonji Academeny Player of the Year prize. Gaby Lewis, who broke into the senior women’s side was awarded with the Sunday Independent International Emerging Player of the Year Award.

The leading wicket taker in Leinster cricket, Eddie Richardson collected the award for the O’Neills Club Player of the Year after an outstanding season for North County, while Roland Black from the North-West Cricket Union picked up the Notts Sport Official of the Year Award.

Club cricket plays a huge part in Irish Cricket, and Duetrom reminded guests of how much the game has grown in Ireland before Brian O’Sullivan and Jim Bennett both received awards.

“Irish Cricket is richer in scope, and has greater depth than at any time in its long history. Nearly 47,000 people, men and women, boys and girls, able-bodied and disabled, Irish and non-Irish play our game from Limavady to Limerick, from Laois to Lurgan. It’s that breadth and diversity, and that pride in club and province – not just the elite end – that we celebrate today.”

Bennett received the Flogas Outstanding Contribution to Irish Cricket award, while O’Sullivan picked up the Johnston, Mooney & O’Brien Volunteer of the Year award after both men put in yet another year of hard work towards running and developing criket in Leinster.

The top award for clubs is the Tildenet Club of the Year award, won this year by Waringstown after a hugely successful season on and off the field that saw them win the Irish Senior Cup in front of their home fans.

In a third award given for work off the field, Simon Johnston won the Oasis Group Coach of the Year Award for the second year running, a fact testament to the hard work and continued drive to learn and improve he shows in his work.

The Cricket Ireland Hall of Fame also had a new member inducted during the awards lunch, with Alf Masood becoming the twelfth person to be included in the Hall of Fame.

2015 Award Winners

Hanley Energy International Men’s Player of the Year – Ed Joyce
Toyota International Women’s Player of the Year –Kim Garth
Sunday Independent International Emerging Player of the Year –Gaby Lewis.
Castleknock Hotel Junior Player of the Year –Varun Chopra (Coleraine).
Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Player of the Year – John Mooney (Leinster Lightning)
O’Neills Club Player of the Year – Eddie Richardson (North County)
The Oasis Group Coach of the Year –Simon Johnston
Notts Sport Official of the Year – Roland Black (NWCU)
Tildenet Club of the Year – Waringstown
Shapoorji Pallonji Academy Player of the Year – Jack Tector
Johnston, Mooney & O’Brien Volunteer of the Year – Brian O’Sullivan
Flogas Outstanding Contribution to Irish Cricket – Jim Bennett
Cricket Ireland Hall of Fame – Alf Masood

[3772] 2015 Hanley Energy Cricket Ireland Awards – 2015-hanley-energy-cricket-ireland-awards
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