Napa Valley Cricket 2014 Awards Night

The Napa Valley Cricket Club (NVCC) had its annual Player of the Year awards hosted by the club’s main sponsor Clos du Val winery recently. While the NVCC is still competing in the Northern California Last Man Stands competition, stats from this were not included in the 2014 season awards.

A good season on the field with 5 wins and 7 loses meant that competition was again strong this year for the four statistical based awards. In addition to these NVCC President, Phil Bourke, awarded an annual President’s award to a member who has contributed to the club over and above. The winner of the 2014 award was Australian, Tim Irwin. Irwin, in addition to getting married this year, has been a driving force in the social and sponsorship sub-committees and was honored by Bourke for his substantial behind the scenes work in 2014.

The winner of the “All Rounder” of the year award was South African Dale Moorhouse. A new and welcome arrival to the club in 2014, and working at club sponsor Joseph Cellars, Moorhouse excelled in all three disciplines to post the following figures: batting – 10 innings for 259 runs with an average of 32.4 runs and a high of 73 runs; in the bowling department Moorhouse bowled 33.3 overs at a cost of 264 runs taking 11 wickets with an average of a wicket every 22.4 balls bowled. His best bowling performance of the season was 3 wickets for 12 runs. In the field Moorhouse took 7 catches and was involved in 2 run-outs.

The individual awards for batting, bowling and fielding were won by Indian born Bijoy Ojha, New Zealander Bernie Peacock and fellow New Zealander Jeff Keene respectively. Ojha batted 8 innings for 252 runs with an average of 50.4 runs and a high of 102 retired, only the third “century” in the clubs history. Peacock bowled 51.3 overs at a cost of 223 runs taking 23 wickets with an average of a wicket every 9.7 balls bowled and a season best in one game of 4 for 6. Keene excelled in the field and behind the stumps with 4 catches, 2 stumping’s and he was also involved in 2 run-outs.

NVCC President Phil Bourke paid tribute on the evening to all of those who have made 2014 such a successful year both on and off the field. The NVCC hosted touring teams from Los Angeles and Hoboken, N.J., while the club toured for its second successive season this year making a trip to Philadelphia CC, founded in 1854. In addition NVCC hosted the U.S. launch of a new fast-paced format of the game, Last Man Stands, which saw England International cricketer, Nick Compton captain the storied Compton CC at a quadrangular tournament at the Fairgrounds in Calistoga.

As the awards drew to a close Bourke was surprised with an additional first for the Napa Valley Cricket Club. Club Secretary Scott Curwood and Club Captain Martin Mackenzie presented Bourke with a Lifetime Member Award to a standing ovation from all-present. The award was in recognition of the huge amount of time and work that Bourke has put into the Napa Valley Cricket Club since it’s formation in 2012.

Sponsors

The Napa Valley Cricket Club wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following sponsors

Clos du Val, Biagi Bros., Oracle Cork Supply USA, Tonnellerie Saint Martin, Domaine Chandon, Cornerstone Cellars, Joseph Cellars, Lyve Systems Inc., TricorBraun WinePak.