Harris best player

Ant Harris.
Ant Harris.
Green Island veteran Ant Harris scooped the major award at the Dunedin Cricket Association awards last night.

Harris, who played two first-class games for Otago in December 2005, was named club cricketer of the year.

The 34-year-old shared the gloves this season and took 19 catches and four stumpings, and was prolific with the bat, scoring 633 runs at an average of 39.6, including one century and five 50s.

His efforts with the willow also netted him the club batsman of the year award.

Indefatigable team-mate Dion Lobb was named bowler of the year - not the first time the right-arm medium pacer has got his name on the trophy. Lobb has taken a staggering 700-plus wickets for the senior team since making his debut in 1998.

He took 56 wickets at an average of 11.3 this summer - one more wicket than he took last season, proving age is no barrier for the 36-year-old.

Like Harris, Lobb had a brief first-class career. He played one game for the Volts in March 2007.

The pair were instrumental in helping Green Island secure the coveted Bing Harris Shield.

Otago and Kaikorai's Josh Finnie claimed the award for the fastest 100 with his 45-ball effort, while Kannan Jagannathan was named umpire of the year.

Taieri College teacher Andrew Sutton was awarded the DCA Cup in recognition of his outstanding contribution to sport.

Cricket was in a dire state at the school but he has helped grow the sport to a point where it is healthy with four boys' teams which play on Saturday, two boys' Twilight Smash teams and two intermediate girls' teams.

The services to cricket award went to groundsman Pete Soper for his 30-odd years of hard work preparing the city's facilities.

''The manner in which he goes about his job and the tremendous organisation, planning and passion to get the job done means we have the best possible surfaces that resources and time allow,'' DCA manager Tim O'Sullivan said.

Add a Comment

OUTSTREAM