Fair Play Award to Stephen Doheny (Rush CC)

Cricket Leinster is delighted to announce that the John Dawson Fair Play Award for 2020 has been won by Stephen Doheny of Rush Cricket Club.

This award is presented annually to the player (voted by all the clubs with teams in the Open Competitions Premier League & Championship) who has demonstrated the highest standard of sportsmanship and played within the spirit of the sport throughout the season.

The award is in memory of the late John Dawson, who was a long-serving and dedicated Honorary Secretary of Cricket Leinster over many years.

We were delighted with the large number of different nominations received this year reflecting the fact that the cricket was played in a great spirit despite the abbreviated and challenging nature of the season. 

The standout winner for 2020 is Stephen Doheny of Rush Cricket Club, best illustrated in the words of two opposing captains who said:

(1) ‘We were chasing a low score of 91 but were in trouble early at 16-5. We started a recovery and had reached 78-6 when I pulled my calf muscle taking a quick single and dropped straight to the ground in agony. At that point, their captain shouted “don’t run him out” as I crawled my way to the crease to complete the run.

We ended up winning the game requiring one run from the last ball. Really thought it was a touch of class and great sportsmanship from the Rush team under the guidance of their captain, Stephen Doheny.’

(2) ‘Stephen is a decent man, always very fair to deal with and always welcoming when we visit Kenure. He leads his team and plays his cricket in the right spirit - very happy to nominate him for this.’

Other players who attracted significant support and therefore notable of mention are Eddie Richardson (North County), Fintan McAllister (Malahide), James Smith (North Kildare) and Kenny Carroll (Railway Union).

Please join us in congratulating Stephen Doheny who is our Open Competitions Fair Play Award Winner for 2020.

This is the first winner to be announced for 2020 with further award details to be communicated shortly.