NatWest Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards

The Spenser Wilson Halifax Cricket League (‘SWHCL’) was very well represented at the National England Cricket Board (‘ECB’) NatWest Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards (‘OSCAs’) held at Lords Cricket Ground, the home of English cricket, on Monday 9 October 2017. The event was hosted by BBC broadcaster Alison Mitchell who interviewed England duo Eoin Morgan and Stuart Broad live on stage. At the Yorkshire OSCAs held at Headingley earlier in the year the SWHCL walked away with an incredible haul of six awards from 21 categories and three of the winners were shortlisted for the national awards and invited to a gala dinner hosted by the ECB. These were i) the SWHCL Executive “leagues and boards” award for services to cricket, ii) Sowerby Bridge C.C for “get the game on” and iii) Mount C.C for “heartbeat of the club”.

Unfortunately none of the SWHCL nominations failed to win the main prize but all came runners up in their respective categories. The League however feels extremely proud to be represented in three out of the 13 national award categories and even to be one of the three shortlisted nominations in a category is a magnificent achievement in itself.

The League Executive was nominated in recognition of the “hugely proactive approach” it has taken to address the challenges facing cricket, increase participation especially in junior cricket and the active role the league took in the development of the Yorkshire pyramid structure. Sowerby Bridge CC was recognised for their “will not die attitude”, fundraising efforts and rebuilding the club following the devastating Boxing Day floods of 2015. Mount CC was nominated for its ‘Light of faith tour’ which brought Muslim, Anglican and Roman Catholic faiths together for a series of events and fixtures based around cricket, “a wonderful example” of the way in which cricket can help bring people together from different cultural backgrounds. Representatives of the three nominees from the HCL are pictured after having received their runners up engraved plaques at the ECB Nat West National OSCAs.