Junior cricketers at Keswick Cricket Club were recognised at their annual presentation event with the Nettleton brothers, Jack, Ted and Arthur holding centre stage.
Between them the talented cricketing family – dad Phil turns out for the club’s 2nd XI in the Eden Valley League – picked up no fewer than six of the top awards.
The presentation was held in a packed pavilion on Sunday evening when the room was busy with young players and their parents and family members who enjoyed a buffet supper before the awards were made, writes Keith Richardson.
The youngest of the three Nettletons, Jack, aged nine, picked up the bowling award for the Keswick club’s Under 11s team and was also a member of the all-conquering Under 13 team which won the county title with an exciting end of season victory over Carlisle; proof positive that the compact Keswick club continues to punch above its weight at all levels.
Ted Nettleton won two under 11s awards for batting and player of the year while the oldest brother, Arthur, won the batting, bowling and player of the year award for the Under 13s.
Young Arthur also won a senior award for scoring his first half century for the club’s 3rd XI team, competing in the Eden Valley Sunday League and he also won that team’s Player of the Year category.
Other players featured in the junior prize giving with Jack Barnes winning the Under 11 fielding and Finlay Harrison the best newcomer.
In the Under 13s Lewis Herselman was the best fielder while Jay Cruickshank was the most improved player and there was a special mention for the leadership skills and selfless approach to his players of team captain Joe Brack.
It came as no surprise that a young player, Lewis Edwards, who featured on a regular basis in KCC’s senior 1st XI last season and claimed some vital wickets – including that of a professional – won the Player of the Year and the batting awards for the Under 15s.
However, the bowling award was won by Jake Anderson – celebrating his 16th birthday on the day of the awards event – while Josh Wilson shared the fielding award with Josh Anderson.
Harry Wilson won the prize for the most improved player.
While the Keswick under 15s won the west group league, they lost to a much stronger Carlisle team in the county final held at Keswick’s award-winning Fitz Park ground on the same day that the club’s Under 13s defeated their city counterparts.
KCC head coach and club leader Andrew Bryson said he hoped to be able to announce soon that all three junior teams at Keswick would have a new strip for the 2024 season.
The awards were presented by Andrew Bryson (under 13s and 15s) and Arran Davies who coaches and manages the Under 11s.
Each in turn was thanked by the young players for their work in coaching and team management devoting many hours to develop the club’s young players and provide a steady stream of new young players for the club’s senior sides and, indeed, in some instances for county teams.
