Claygate Cricket Club brought the curtain down on another fantastic season with the annual awards evening, celebrating the performances, achievements and contributions that made 2026 such a memorable year both on and off the field.

From league centuries and match-winning spells to the continued growth of our junior and women's sections, the evening highlighted everything that makes Claygate CC a special club.

Batting Cup

The race for the Batting Cup was one of the closest in recent memory, with three players setting the standard throughout the season.

Scott Labacik - 452 runs at 21.52
Nicky Ison - 426 runs at 26.63
Juned Ahmed - 384 runs at 25.60

Both Scott and Nicky recorded outstanding centuries during the campaign, with Nicky's superb 111 against Horsley & Send standing alongside Scott's unbeaten 106 as highlights of the season.

Ultimately, the Batting Cup went to Scott Labacik, who not only topped the run-scoring charts but somehow managed the rare feat of winning both the Batting Cup and the infamous Mallard Award in the same season.

Bowling Cup

The club's bowlers played a huge part in another competitive year, none more so than Nicky Ison, who claimed the Bowling Cup after a superb season with the ball.

Nicky finished with:

39 wickets at 14.72
Best figures of 6-16

He was closely followed by:

Akram Syed - 29 wickets at 14.69
Juned Ahmed - 19 wickets
Mark Prickett - 16 wickets at 20.25

Both Nicky and Akram finished among the league's top five wicket-takers, with Juned also enjoying an excellent all-round campaign.

Fielding Cup

While batting and bowling grab the headlines, matches are often won in the field.

This year's leading fielders were:

Mark Prickett with 9 outfield catches
James Board with 13 dismissals behind the stumps

The award recognised the vital contributions that don't always feature in batting and bowling statistics but can make all the difference on match day.

Social XI Player of the Year

The Social XI once again embodied everything great about club cricket, playing competitive cricket in the right spirit while welcoming new faces into the club.

Nominated for Social XI Player of the Year were:

Juned Ahmed
James Mote
Robert Newton (winner)

Their efforts helped maintain the excellent atmosphere that remains the hallmark of the side.

T20 Player of the Year

The shortest format produced plenty of memorable performances throughout the summer.

Nominees were:

James Board - 109 runs
Ross Davies - 70 runs and 3 wickets (winner)
Nicky Ison - 9 wickets

Each made significant contributions in Claygate's T20 campaign and ensured the club remained competitive in the format.

Best Junior in Adult Cricket

One of the club's greatest measures of success is seeing junior players make the step into senior cricket.

This year's nominees were:

Ben Webb
Noah Luxman (winner)
Jamie Nkrumah

Noah made an immediate impact after stepping into senior cricket during the second half of the season, scoring 127 runs while opening the batting.

Ben and Jamie both demonstrated real potential with bat and ball and have every chance of becoming regular senior cricketers in the years ahead.

Club Person of the Year

Claygate Cricket Club is built upon the work of volunteers, and the Club Person of the Year award recognises those who go above and beyond.

The nominees were:

Paddy Willard
Nicky Ison
Luke Webb
Paddy Willard

Special recognition went to Paddy for his outstanding commitment to the club's junior section.

Paddy:

Organises the entire junior programme
Coaches and trains players throughout the year
Manages junior fixtures
Leads All Stars and Dynamos cricket
Is regularly at the club four or five nights every week
Coached more than 160 juniors this summer
Continues coaching through the winter programme
Achieved his ECB Level 2 coaching qualification

His contribution makes him one of the club's most valuable assets and ensures a bright future for Claygate Cricket Club.

The Mallard Award

The award nobody wants to win, but everybody loves hearing about.

The 2026 Mallard Award went to Scott Labacik, who registered five ducks during the season.

Remarkably, Scott still finished as the club's leading run scorer and Batting Cup winner, proving that even the best batsmen have the occasional off day.

Players' Player of the Year

One of the most respected awards of the evening is the Players' Player award, voted for by teammates.

This year's nominees were:

Nicky Ison (winner)
Scott Labacik
Akram Syed
Juned Ahmed

All four enjoyed exceptional seasons and earned the respect of those they shared the field with throughout 2026.

Women's Softball Section Continues to Flourish

The Women's Softball team enjoyed another hugely successful season, continuing the progress made over recent years.

Competing in a six-team league, the side recorded notable victories against Esher and Sunbury while showing significant improvement across all areas of their game.

Led brilliantly by Mads and Sarah, the team built on strong attendance, excellent commitment and a fantastic team spirit that made every matchday enjoyable. And, of course, post-match Prosecco remained an important part of team culture.

Women's Award Winners
Batting Cup - Sarah Kelly
Bowling Cup - Emilia Cross
Dizon-Wotton Cup (Women's Players' Player) - Sone Coetzee

The newly named Dizon-Wotton Cup recognises the Women's Players' Player of the Year and honours two individuals whose work has been instrumental in establishing and developing women's cricket at Claygate.

The award is named after:

Cat Wotton, for her outstanding dedication to safeguarding and welfare, helping ensure the club remains compliant and welcoming for all members.
Iona Dizon, for her work creating the women's section and fostering the positive culture that continues to thrive today.
President's Award: Smokey Champagne Moment of the Season

Presented by Steve Salmon, the Smokey Champagne Moment of the Season was awarded to the Women's Softball team for their league-winning victory away at Staines.

It was a fitting way to end the evening, celebrating not only a memorable result but also the continued growth and success of women's cricket at Claygate.

Looking Ahead

As another successful season comes to a close, the awards evening served as a reminder of what makes Claygate Cricket Club special: performances on the field, volunteers behind the scenes, the development of junior players, and the continued strength of the club's community spirit.

Congratulations to all nominees and winners, and here's to an even bigger and better 2027 season.