The Northern Cricket Union welcomed more than 130 guests to its Annual Dinner on Saturday evening, celebrating another successful season of NCU cricket and recognising individuals who made outstanding contributions throughout the year.
Hosted by Ally McCalmont, the event opened with outgoing NCU President Bryan Milford delivering the traditional President’s Welcome. In his final address, Bryan reflected on the past year, extended his best wishes for the coming season, and thanked all attendees, including Cricket Ireland President Donna Armstrong, for their support.
Three Special Recognition Awards were presented on the night:
Shane Matthews – Acknowledged for ten years of exceptional support for NCU club cricket during his tenure as Managing Director of Gallagher NI. Shane has played a key role in Gallagher’s long-standing partnership with the Union’s Cup competitions and has been a committed supporter of the sport. The award was accepted on his behalf by colleague Neil Hunter.
Gerry Kelly – Recognised as he steps down as CEO of the Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association. Gerry was honoured for his major contribution to international cricket at Stormont and for his leadership in developing the venue as the NCU’s home ground. The Union also extended best wishes to his successor, Kieran Devlin.
Mark Hawthorne – Honoured for his long and distinguished service to ICC umpiring, having stood in more than 90 international matches. Mark represented the NCU with distinction on the global stage and continues to support NIACUS and Cricket Ireland. He stood in his final international match in September when Ireland faced England at Malahide.
The evening moved on as Peter McMorran welcomed Andrew White on-stage to induct 3 former players into the NCU Hall of Fame
Tom Irwin (Laurelvale CC) – For lifelong dedication to Laurelvale and the wider NCU community.
Paul Jackson – For distinguished achievements representing Ireland at international level.
Garfield Harrison – For an outstanding Ireland career and long-term commitment to raising cricketing standards in the NCU.
Next up was the Cartwrights Sports Cricketer of the Year awards which go to the best individual player in each of the senior leagues as voted by their peers.
Presented by John Kerstens (Cartwrights Sports), the 2024 award winners were:
Cade Carmichael (Instonians)
Alex Ogle (Donacloney Mill)
Vinoth Srinivasan (Cooke Collegians)
Bilal Farooq (Dunmurry)
Gracie Keenan (North Down)
Niamh Lowry (Dundrum)
Bryan Milford presented the individual award winners for 2025.
Men’s Premier League
Batter: Cade Carmichael (Instonians)
Bowler: Cian Robertson (Instonians)
All-Rounder: Ruhan Pretorius (Woodvale)
Wicket-Keeper: David Miller (Lisburn)
Women’s Premier League
Batter: Jemma Gillan (CSNI)
Bowler: Naomi Matthews (Waringstown)
All-Rounder: Gracie Keenan (North Down)
Wicket-Keeper: Rachael Thomas (CSNI)
A new youth honour was added this year, with Rebecca Lowe (Lisburn) winning the inaugural Girls’ U15 Player of the Year and Marko Bates (Muckamore) receiving the Boys’ U15 award.
Further recognition went to:
Coach of the Year: Ami Mandrekar (Armagh)
Grounds Person of the Year: Michael Kennedy (Larne)
The evening concluded with the presentation of trophies for the senior and junior leagues, recognising club achievements across all competitions in 2024.
The NCU extends its congratulations to all award recipients and thanks every club, volunteer, and partner for their continued contribution to cricket throughout the region. See you in 2026!