Thursday, 20th November 2008

Dunkerley and Stewart take Groundsmen of the Year Award

The ECB today announced the 2008 Groundsman of the Year Awards and Micky Stewart and Christian Dunkerley have received an award for best outground for their work at Scarborough. The pair have shared the award with Vic Demain, the groundsman at Uxbridge.

For the sixth year running Bill Gordon from The Brit Oval has won the four-day pitches title and, for the fourth year in succession, he also wins the one-day pitches trophy. Stuart Kerrison from Chelmsford is runner-up in the four-day category whilst Mike Grantham from Canterbury is named runner-up for one-day pitches.

Commendations were awarded in the four-day pitches category to Peter Marron at Old Trafford, Mick Hunt at Lord’s and Paul Marshall at Northampton. In the one-day pitches category, commendations were awarded to Nigel Gray at The Rose Bowl, Peter Marron at Old Trafford, Philip Frost at Taunton and David Measor at Riverside.

In the UCCE category, an old rivalry was contested with Richard Sula at The Parks also making it back to back wins with John Moden at Fenners named runner-up.

Alan Fordham, ECB Head of Operations (First Class Cricket) said, “Once again the nation’s groundsmen and their teams have worked incredibly hard to produce some excellent pitches during another wet season.  Great matches happen on great pitches and the tireless work that groundsmen do all year means that many thousands of spectators and players get maximum enjoyment from the game. We offer our congratulations to Bill Gordon at The Brit Oval who has consistently produced outstanding wickets in both forms of the game for many years and continues to set the standard for others to emulate”.

Stewart Regan, Yorkshire's Chief Executive, said: "I would like to add my congratulations to Micky and Christian who worked wonders at Scarborough this year, I would also like to praise our Head Groundsman at Headingley Carnegie, Andy Fogarty, for his hard work. Although he has not been honoured by the ECB this season the work of his team has been outstanding."