NZC Development Awards Winners

New Zealand Cricket has announced the winners of the inaugural Development Awards.
 
The Awards were announced in December to recognise the excellent contributions that schools and clubs as well as volunteers, coaches, teachers and club personnel make towards the development of the game.
 
“These awards provide New Zealand Cricket with the opportunity to acknowledge the significant contribution of six volunteers who have willingly committed their time, energy, skill and expertise to assisting with growing and sustaining the game within schools and cricket clubs,” says Alec Astle, New Zealand Cricket National Development Manager.
 
Each Major Cricket Association made one nomination in each of the five categories. The winners are:
 
Best Club Cricket Initiative – Bryan Scott (Hinuera Cricket Club, Matamata - Northern Districts)
Bryan helped lead a resurgence of club cricket in Matamata, establishing a pathway for young players coming through in the region.
 
Best Women’s Cricket Initiative – Peter Hensman (Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay - Central Districts)
Peter coached the local girls’ school team to win the MILO Shield in 2002, and to a share of the New Zealand Community Trust Secondary School Girls’ Tournament in 2007. Peter has also been instrumental in coaching and fundraising for women’s cricket in the Hawke’s Bay.
 
Best Youth Cricket Initiative – David Ferguson (Westlake Boys’ High School - Auckland)
David pioneered a very successful Twenty20 Secondary Schools Tournament in January 2008. The tournament involved six teams from the upper North Island and Australia.
 
Best Junior Cricket Initiative – Peter Burke (Burnside West University Cricket Club, Christchurch - Canterbury)
Peter wins the Best Junior Cricket Initiative after years of service to the Burnside West University Cricket Club. Burnside-West’s Friday night junior programmes have been a nursery for over 2,000 cricketers over the last decade, many still in the game.
 
Spirit of Cricket Award – Bob Pratt (Westport - Canterbury)
Bob has been a stalwart of Buller Cricket and he continues to be the backbone of cricket in the South Island district. He wins the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ award for his enthusiasm for the game and his willingness to do whatever is required and more. Bob works at all levels of the game, from senior cricket to MILO programmes. Without Bob’s many years of service, Buller Cricket would not be in the sound state in which it is today.
 
The five winners of the development awards will be invited to attend New Zealand Cricket’s annual awards dinner, alongside Michael Cotter, the most recent recipient of the Sir Jack Newman Award.
 
Mr Cotter was chosen to receive the award for his outstanding service to the development in junior cricket in the Waikato Valley, having coached young cricketers in the area for five decades.