Awards for NW cricket

Thompson has been named the ‘O’Neill’s Club Player of the Year’ at the inaugural RSA Cricket Ireland Awards.

There was further success for the North West, with Donemana being named ‘Tildenet Club of the Year’ for their magnificent campaign which saw the club pick up trophies at all levels, with the highlights being the senior team completing a domestic treble, and their Under 15’s collecting the All Ireland Cup.

Donemana won a total of four trophies and, according to one of the event sponsors, the Irish Independent, they have “an enviable record for producing talent.”

Captain Richard Kee won the biggest cheer of the night at the awards ceremony for revealing the secret of his club’s success: “There’s no point trying to coach players. They’re either good or they’re not – fact!”

Remarkably, there was yet more success for the North West as the best emerging cricketer on the island of Ireland has been named as Limavady man Stuart Thompson, who was given the prestigious title at the inaugural RSA Cricket Ireland Awards.

The local all-rounder collected the ‘Sunday Independent Aengus Fanning International Emerging Player of the Year’ accolade following his successful debut season in Irish colours, pipping Max Sorensen and James Shannon.

Thompson’s progress in 2012 has been swift since he started off on the Ireland ‘A’ team, where he made a crucial 93 in their win over their Gloucestershire counterparts and took 4-56 against Kent.

He went on to make an immediate impact on his full Ireland debut against Afghanistan in July when he took 3-51. More success for Thompson followed in the series against South Africa ‘A’ and he won a place in the squad for the ICC World Twenty/20 in Sri Lanka.

While Paul Stirling was named the Ireland’s ‘RSA International Men’s Player of the Year’.