IRELAND stars Ed Joyce and Kim Garth have been rewarded for impressive international seasons by being named winners of the top prizes in the 2015 Hanley Energy Cricket Ireland Awards.
Joyce, who was a previous winner in 2013, fought off tough competition from Andrew Balbirnie and John Mooney to win the prestigious Hanley Energy International Men's Player of the Year award. During the year, he became Ireland's highest individual run scorer with a superb 231 in the InterContinental Cup win over UAE. He also scored a century in Ireland's World Cup win over Zimbabwe - one of three victories for the Irish during the competition.
Teenager Kim Garth scooped the Toyota International Women's Player of the Year award, beating off the challenge of Lucy O'Reilly and Cecelia Joyce. Pembroke all-rounder Garth played a pivotal role in Ireland's three match international series against world champions Australia, and was also to the fore with a number of strong performances in the ECB County Championship and T20 campaigns.
Another star from that international series against Australia was YMCA teenager Gaby Lewis who is this year’s Sunday Independent Aengus Fanning Emerging Player of the Year. The 14 year-old has impressed in her first full season with the Irish Women's side, and is certain to play a major role in Irish cricket in the coming years.
15 year-old leg-spinner Varun Chopra has been named as the Castleknock Hotel Junior Player of the Year. The Coleraine youngster played a major role both domestically and internationally. He helped his local team win the NW Premier title, and Ireland collect both the Under 15 and 17 European titles.
Jack Tector is the 2015 Shapoorji Pallonji Cricket Ireland Academy Player of the Year. The YMCA batsman had a breakthrough season scoring heavily in domestic cricket which saw him gain elevation to inter-provincial cricket with Leinster Lightning. He also led Ireland U19's with great distinction as they narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification.
Leinster Lightning skipper John Mooney was instrumental in leading his side to a clean sweep of trophies at inter-provincial level scoring centuries in both the T20 and Championship formats. He is the winner of the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Player of the Year.
Mooney's former North County colleague Eddie Richardson was to the fore with both bat and ball as he enjoyed a quite superb domestic season. Richardson was the leading wicket taker in Leinster claiming 50 wickets, as well as scoring 434 runs. For these displays, he is a deserved winner of the O’Neills Club Player of the Year award.
Widely regarded as one of Ireland’s top umpires, Roly Black has picked up the Notts Sport Official of the Year Award for after a season which saw the Bready man continue to impress all observers of the game with his quiet, professional demeanour.
For the second year in succession for his work with club side Waringstown and guiding Ireland Under-15s to a clean-sweep at the 2015 European Championships Simon Johnston is the 2015 Oasis Group Coach of the Year.
Waringstown are the winners of the Tildenet Club of the Year Award after a superb season for the Mid-Ulster club in which in addition to their senior side winning both the Irish Senior Cup and Premier League, saw league titles for their second and third sides and cup success at U11 and U17 levels.
Brian O'Sullivan and Jim Bennett will both be honoured for their contributions to Irish cricket, with O'Sullivan being named the Johnston, Mooney and O'Brien Volunteer of the Year award and Bennett being presented with the Flogas Outstanding Contribution to Irish Cricket award.
Former Ireland opening batsman Alf Masood will become the 12th inductee to the Cricket Ireland Hall of Fame, which is voted for by the Cricket Writers of Ireland. Masood joins fellow Irish cricketing legends Simon Corlett, Mike Halliday, Stephen Warke, Ivan Anderson, Gerry Duffy, Ginger O’Brien, Ossie Colhoun, Roy Torrens, Dougie Goodwin, Jack Short and Alec O’Riordan.
The winners will be presented with their awards on Friday November 13th in Dublin.