NVCC Finishes Their Fifth Year With Player Of The Year Awards Night

2016 NVCC Award Winners (L-R) Adersh Maqsood (5 for), Bernie Peacock (5 for & Bowler of the Year), Pete Carson (Life Member), Andrew Healy (Life Member), John Leake (Batsman of the Year).

The Napa Valley Cricket Club (NVCC) had its annual Player of the Year awards hosted by the club’s main sponsor Clos du Val winery recently.

A good season on the field with 4 wins and 7 loses meant that competition was again strong this year for the four statistical based awards. In addition to these NVCC President, Phil Bourke, awarded an annual President’s award to a member who has contributed to the club over and above. The winner of the 2016 award was Australian, Leigh Ritchie. Ritchie, has been a driving force in the social sub-committee and was honored by Bourke for his substantial behind the scenes work in 2016.

The winner of the “All Rounder” of the year award was New Zealander Martin Mackenzie. A stalwart of the club and strong contributor in all three cricketing disciplines – batting, bowling, and fielding – Mackenzie’s numbers for 2016 were: batting – 9 innings for 228 runs with an average of 38 runs and a high of 41 runs; in the bowling department Mackenzie bowled 48.4 overs at a cost of 265 runs taking 8 wickets with an average of a wicket every 33.1 balls bowled. His best bowling performance of the season was 2 wickets for 9 runs. In the field Mackenzie took 2 catches.

The individual awards for batting, bowling, and fielding were won by Australian John Leake, New Zealander Bernie Peacock, and American born Pete Cameron respectively. Leake batted 4 innings for 246 runs with an average of 61.5 runs and a high of 92 runs. Peacock bowled 49.2 overs at a cost of 237 runs taking 15 wickets with an average of a wicket every 15.8 balls bowled and a season best in one game of 5 for 41. Cameron excelled in the field with 7 catches, and he was also involved in 2 run-outs.

John Leake (Center) pictured with NVCC Club Captain Rob Bolch (L) and Vice Captain Bernie Peacock (R) as he received the 2016 NVCC Batsman of the Year Award.

Club captain Rob Bolch handed out a number of milestone awards during the evening with vice-captain Bernie Peacock receiving an award for his “Five-For” (five wickets in once game) against Bradshaw CC in September. Adersh Maqsood also joined the “Five-For” club with his five wicket haul for the NVCC against Marin CC Socials in May.

Now that the NVCC is five years old a number of members have reached other milestones and they were recognized on the night. Pete Carson is the first NVCC player to have played 50 matches while Bijoy Ojha passed the 1000 run mark in 2016 with his total tally for NVCC standing at 1,020 runs. Both Bolch and Peacock went past the 50 wicket mark in 2016 with Bolch’s haul being 60, while Peacock is at 51 wickets taken.

NVCC Vice Captain Bernie Peacock (L) presents Adersh Maqsood with his Five-For award for his 5 wickets against Marin Socials CC in May 2016.

NVCC President Phil Bourke paid tribute on the evening to all of those who have made 2016 such a successful year both on and off the field. The NVCC toured to Scottsdale, Arizona early in 2016, again were involved in the North Bay Last Man Stands, and ran a number of very successful and well attended social events throughout the year.

As the awards drew to a close Bourke presented members Pete Carson and Andrew Healy with Lifetime Membership awards in recognition of the contribution that both members have made to the NVCC since it was founded in 2012. Carson is responsible for managing all of the clubs ground work efforts while Healy looks after all of the clubs scheduling and marketing work. Carson and Healy join Bourke as Life Members of the NVCC.

NVCC President Phil Bourke (L) presents the 2016 NVCC Presidents Award to Leigh Ritchie.