End of Season Awards 2018

The men’s first team end of season awards, as well as a Chairman’s Award, were presented at The 1st Central County Ground on Friday following the conclusion of the Specsavers County Championship match against Warwickshire

Club chairman, Bob Warren, handed over the awards on the committee room balcony in front of Members and supporters who had gathered on the outfield below.

For the first time, a player of the year trophy for both County Championship and limited overs cricket was awarded. Ollie Robinson was named as County Championship Player of the Year and Laurie Evans as One-Day Player of the Year.

Phil Salt was awarded Young Player of the Year as well as Performance of the Year, while Will Beer was named Team Man of the Year. David Bowden was presented with the Chairman’s Award.

Robinson has enjoyed the best Championship season of his career. His 67 wickets make him not only Sussex’s highest wicket-taker in the competition, but also the leader amongst English-qualified bowlers in either division. Only Kent’s New Zealand overseas player, Matt Henry has more wickets. Testament to his exceptional fitness over the course of the season, the 24-year-old has bowled 452.0 Championship overs in 2018, more than any other seamer.

Evans finished this year’s Vitality Blast as the tournament’s leading run-scorer; his 614 runs – including seven fifties – helping Sussex Sharks to their first final since 2009. Ninety-six against Somerset in the group stage was a career best in T20 cricket for the 30-year-old.

Earlier in the season, he made 243 runs at an average of over 60 in the 50-over format, including the second List-A hundred of his career against Essex Eagles at Eastbourne.

In his first full season in the team, Salt has made the opening berths in Sussex’s Championship and T20 sides his own. He made a maiden first-class hundred against Durham at Arundel in June and followed it up with a second – an explosive affair - against Derbyshire at Hove last month. So far, the 21-year-old has scored 714 runs in this year’s Championship, with only Ben Brown ahead of him in the Sussex run-scorers list.

In the Blast, Salt was one of five players to play in all 15 of the Sharks’ matches. He made four fifties from the top of the order, including a high-score of 74 against Surrey at The 1st Central County Ground. His strike-rate of 172.33 was the fifth highest amongst batsmen with at least 300 runs in the tournament. The Academy graduate also played a memorable innings of 62 from 57 balls in a one-day match against the touring Australians in June.

The second of Salt’s Championship hundreds was decided as Performance of the Year. A scintillating innings of 148 off just 138 balls, Salt’s effort included 14 fours and five sixes. The speed with which the opener scored his runs ensured that Sussex were able to declare their second innings with a sizeable lead and still have time to bowl out Derbyshire and secure victory on the fourth evening.

Beer was praised for always putting the needs of the team above everything else. In an injury-interrupted season and with limited first-team opportunities, the leg-spinner was commended for his demeanour around the dressing room, his unfailing willingness to help his teammates with their preparation and for consistently going above and beyond what has been expected of him. It was also noted that, when called into the side, he has performed admirably, as demonstrated by his crucial wickets in the latter stages of Sussex’s Vitality Blast campaign.

Bowden received the Chairman’s Award in recognition of his immense and lengthy contribution to the club and cricket in Sussex in general. Bob Warren identified Sussex Cricket board member, club president, president of the Sussex Cricket League and chairman of the Spen Cama Trust as just a few of the official roles David has performed over the years, but also highlighted the behind-the-scenes contributions he has made.

These have included – amongst many, many others - ensuring the seamless merger of Sussex County Cricket Club and the Sussex Cricket Board to form Sussex Cricket in 2015 and the writing of the rules and regulations of the new Sussex Cricket League.