NORTH Duffield Cricket Club’s work in helping to produce the next generation of cricketers earned them this season’s Club of the Year Award at the HPH York Vale Cricket League’s annual awards dinner.

The club received a cheque for £500 and an engraved award from Ian Scothern, of award sponsors Scothern Construction.

Groundwork in encouraging youngsters to take up the sport was begun two years ago and this year the club has expanded its junior section to three teams at under-nine, U11 and U13 level with the aim of producing future senior players. An U15 side is planned for next year.

Weekly training sessions regularly attract 50 children, both boys and girls from five years upwards.

North Duffield held an open day, supported by the ECB, this year to increase the profile of the club within the community.

It also raised enough money to send two volunteers on a coaching course.

Alex Bindloss, 16, was presented with the Raven Cricket Young Player of the Year award by sponsor Carl Marsden.

The teenager had a great first season in senior cricket with 28 wickets for Bishopthorpe II, including three four-wicket hauls and a ‘five-for’.

The other two players on the award short-list were Pocklington batsman James Baker and Joe Kilvington, of Clifton Alliance.

At the other end of the age scale, Dave Watson, of Thorpe Willoughby, was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.

Although he didn’t take up playing until he was aged 25, he has taken more than 1,000 wickets, including best figures of 9-11 against York in 2000. He played for Stillingfleet for about ten years, taking an average of more than 50 wickets a season. He has since been a Thorpe Willoughby player for 21 years, captaining both first and second XIs.

He has umpired a number of York Vale cup finals and in 2006, aged 48, won the league bowling award.

Watson, who is also a competent batsman with a top score of 86, received his Hall of Fame certificate from league chairman Shane Hargrave.

The Club Tea of the Year award was won by Melbourne’s Ruth Steels, who is also secretary of the club. For the first time it was based on scores given by visiting clubs.

The award is sponsored by Jelf Insurance in conjunction with Sainsbury’s whose Foss Bank store deputy manager Mark Chatterton presented the award.