Special award for Williams

Williams received the Simon Lees Memorial Trophy in front of almost 250 people at The Venue, Barkisland.

Williams joined Blackley as a 10-year-old, progressing to senior cricket and becoming first team captain for two seasons in the eighties. He retired from playing in 2014, having scored more than 15,000 runs.

He has been a junior team manager and coach from 1971 and junior coordinator since 2005.

Williams has been a Blackley committee member since 1970, was club secretary from 1976 to 1981 and has been the club’s league representative since 1993.

He was instrumental in his club being the first in Calderdale to achieve Clubmark accreditation from the ECB in 2005.

During his half century of service to Blackley he has spent incalculable hours playing, coaching, attending meetings, serving behind the bar and working to maintain high standards at one of the league’s top clubs.

A special award for services to the executive was received by Alan Ford of Low Moor Holy Trinity. He temporarily added the league secretary’s role to his duties this year.

League newcomers Illingworth St Mary’s won the heritage award and the Umpires’ Association sportsman of the year trophy went to Bradshaw’s Michael Turner.

Copley won the Roy Smith Club Sportsmanship Trophy, judged by the umpires.

The main guest was Yorkshire CCC chief executive Mark Arthur, who was accompanied by players Alex Lees (son of Simon) and Andrew Hodd.

All three were interviewed on stage by MC Pete Emmett and Hodd said it had been the best dinner he had attended in the county.

An auction of a montage of photographs with two signed cricket bats from the last England versus Australia Test series raised a staggering £650.

Comedian Austin Knight from Manchester rounded off the evening.