It was the perfect end to a rewarding cricket season as the Central Districts Cricket Association family celebrated its 2018 CDCA Cricket Awards evening with the Plunket Shield proudly on display.

New Zealand Cricket CEO Mr David White was guest of honour as invitees gathered at Napier’s new Convention Centre to reflect on a season in which our Central Stags and Central Districts Women’s Under-21s each convincingly won national titles.

At the development level, it was exciting to see Palmerston North Boys’ High win the New Zealand Junior Secondary School Boys’ trophy with a 3-1 record, while one week after Awards night, Napier Technical Old Boys’ — representing CD at the annual NZCT National Club Cricket Championship in Auckland, would become only the third CD team to win the traditional end-of-season tournament, and did so unbeaten.

The major individual trophies of 2017/18 went to Central Stags’ frontline spinner Ajaz Patel who was named Player of the Year, Plunket Shield Player of the Year and Player’s Player of the Year, and was presented with NZC’s 2017/18 overall trophy for Domestic Player of the Year by Mr. White; and to WHITE FERNS and Hinds allrounder Hannah Rowe who was named Central Hinds Player of the Year.

Special awards were also presented to Blair Tickner to commemorate his first-class hat-trick and to Jess Watkin to mark the first instance of a double century at the NZC Women’s Under-21 national tournament.

CDCA Cricket Awards — 2017/18

CD Under-17 Player of the Year — Ben Frewin

CD Under-19 Player of the Year — Kaylum Boshier

CD Under-21 Player of the Year — Jess Watkin

Chapple Cup Player of the Year — Dane Cleaver

Hawke Cup Player of the Year — Dean Robinson

Districts Player of the Year — Willem Ludick

Central Hinds T20 Player of the Year — Jess Watkin

Central Hinds One-Day Player of the Year — Rosemary Mair

Central Hinds Emerging Player of the Year — Georgia Atkinson

Central Hinds Player’s Player of the Year — Kerry Tomlinson

Central Hinds Player of the Year — Hannah Rowe

Burger King Super Smash Player of the Year — Blair Tickner

Ford Trophy Player of the Year — George Worker and Blair Tickner

Plunket Shield Player of the Year — Ajaz Patel

Central Stags Player’s Player of the Year — Ajaz Patel

CD Player of the Year — Ajaz Patel