Harry Tector and Orla Prendergast bag Player of the Year honour at Irish Cricket Awards

DUBLIN – Harry Tector and Orla Prendergast were the big winners at the 12^th Business Plus Irish Cricket Awards on Friday night in Dublin, as they were respectively named Men’s and Women’s International Player of the Year for 2023. 

Tector, 24, had an outstanding year, playing all three formats and achieving an ICC Ranking of 7^th in the world for ODIs (the highest such ranking ever for an Ireland Men’s cricketer. He is currently playing franchise cricket in the Bangladesh Premier League.

His performance highlights in 2023 include:

• Test cricket: 4 matches; 336 runs at 42.00; 4 half-centuries; highest score 85
• ODI cricket: 20 matches; 711 runs at 50.78; 2 centuries and 4 half-centuries; highest score 140
• T20I cricket: 16 matches; 335 runs at 27.91; 1 half-century; highest score 54*

Prendergast, 21, had a breakout year after consistently showing promise since her debut in 2019. She was named 12^th in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Team of the Tournament in 2023 after numerous eye-catching performances – and it wasn’t just her all-round skills that made her stand out, but renewed confidence and positivity. Orla earned her first franchise cricket opportunity in 2023 when she played in the Caribbean Premier League. 

Her performance highlights in 2023 include:

• ODI cricket (batting): 8 matches; 248 runs at 35.42; 2 half-centuries; highest score 71
• ODI cricket (bowling): 2 wickets; best bowling 1-24
• T20I cricket (batting): 12 matches; 196 runs at 17.81; 1 half-century; highest score 61
• T20I cricket (bowling): 5 wickets at 38.80; best bowling 2-22

Each winner received an engraved award designed to the iconic Irish brand. Presentations were also made on the night to recent international retirees, Mary Waldron, Shauna Kavanagh, and Rachel Delaney, all who had long distinguished careers in the Irish jersey.  The evening also saw a special acknowledgement of Amy Hunter who was presented her medallion for being named the ‘ICC Women’s Player of the Month’ recently.

Full Award winners list

• Kitman Labs Emerging Talent Award – Men: Chris de Freitas (Balbriggan)
• Beauchamps Emerging Talent Award – Women: Freya Sargent (Clontarf)
• Macron Volunteer of the Year: Dermot Ward (Ardmore)
• Certa Smash It/It’s Wicket! Activator of the Year: Maria Van der Munckhof (Limerick)
• SportsHub Coach of the Year: Robert Delaney (Mullingar)
• Lord’s Taverners Groundskeeping Team of the Year: Matt Reed (Cork County)
• Butlers Club Player of the Year – Men: Morgan Topping (Waringstown)
• Butlers Club Player of the Year – Women: Mollie Devine (Fox Lodge)
• Gibney’s Outstanding Contribution and Service to Irish Cricket – in honour of John Wright: Alan Lewis
• Waterford Club Cricket Official of the Year – in honour of Paul Reynolds: David Caldwell (North West Cricket Union)
• Arachas Club of the Year: Waringstown Cricket Club
• HBV Studios Inter-Provincial Series Player of the Year: Neil Rock
• Evoke Super Series Player of the Year: Amy Hunter
• Business Plus International Men’s Player of the Year: Harry Tector
• Certa International Women’s Player of the Year: Orla Prendergast

In addition, the Cricket Writers of Ireland inducted three former players into the Hall of Fame:

• Inductee 1 (posthumas): Lucius Gwynn
• Citation: Lucius may have only received 11 caps for Ireland between 1892 and 1902, but he was widely regarded as the finest Irish batter of the 19th century. He scored 499 runs for Ireland, and his average of 39 on rough pitches, which was still the best average as late as the 1980s. He played in Ireland’s inaugural first-class matches striking five fifties against strong professional sides Surrey, South Africa and London County. Furthermore, Lucius won a rugby triple crown before he died aged 29 of tuberculosis..

• Inductee 2: Saibh Young
• Citation: Saibh earned 36 caps from 1991-2000. In her Test debut v Pakistan she had remarkable first innings figures of 10-9-1-0. She played at two World Cups and bowled Ireland to notable victories over Pakistan and England, even taking a hat-trick v England on her last appearance. She took 32 international wickets at 28.62, with a best of 4 for 24.

• Inductee 3: Kyle McCallan
• Citation: Kyle earned 227 caps for Ireland between 1996-2009, taking 256 wickets and scoring 3,616 runs, including a century in his third innings. That was one of two centuries he hit on top of 11 half-centuries. A member of legendary 2007 World Cup team, Kyle batted everywhere from 1 to 11 for Ireland and had stellar club career with Cliftonville and Waringstown.