Mady Villiers and Ben Raine share the spoils at Durham’s annual Player of the Year dinner held at Banks Homes Riverside, hosted by Justin Lockwood.
Villiers scooped a trio of awards as she shone with bat, ball and in the field in Durham’s maiden campaign as a professional women’s outfit.
The England International collected the Danielle Hazell Medal as she shone across both formats, setting Durham’s highest T20 score of 85* against the Bears whilst accumulating 638 runs and 31 wickets across both white ball competitions in a thrilling first season in the North East.
Villiers grabbed the Women’s Metro Bank Cup Player of the Year award as she coupled 347 runs with 16 wickets in the One Day Cup, whilst also claiming Women’s Players’ Player of the Year for a series of enthralling all-round displays.
Raine was awarded with the Paul Collingwood Medal alongside Rothesay County Championship Player of the Year as he claimed 44 red ball wickets, putting in several crucial performances with the ball over the campaign whilst adding vital contributions with the bat, including last week’s century against Yorkshire.
The Sunderland-born cricketer also took home the Men’s Members’ Player of the Year and Men’s Player’s Player of the Year award with 72 wickets across all three formats. Raine took 17 wickets in the Vitality Blast at an average of just 16 including 5/23 against Leicestershire whilst taking 11 wickets in the One Day Cup.
Will Rhodes picked up the men’s Metro Bank Cup Player of the Year for a standout campaign, where one century and three fifties made him Durham’s top scorer with 429 runs, in addition to topping the Club’s wicket taking charts with 14 scalps and a maiden List A five wicket haul against Sussex.
Hollie Armitage capped off her first season as Durham Captain by claiming Women’s Members’ Player of the Year. Armitage became the Club’s first professional women’s centurion against Lancashire Thunder and racked up five half-centuries across both white ball competitions scoring 888 runs as she led her side to a solid opening season.
Graham Clark was named Men’s Vitality Blast Player of the Year as he enthralled at the top of the order in Durham’s second successive run to the T20 quarter-finals. Clark’s 409 runs came with a strike of above 150 as he struck two half-centuries alongside a string of imposing displays.
Bess Heath laid claim to Women’s Vitality Blast Player of the Year as she produced several match-winning innings in the T20 competition. Heath struck 296 runs at a lofty strike rate of 147 alongside sharing duties behind the stumps.
Grace Thompson lifted the Women’s Rising Star award after an inspiring breakthrough season. After earning a rookie contract ahead of the season, Thompson broke onto the scene with 15 wickets for Durham in a summer where the 18-year-old also earned a place in the England A Setup.
Robbie Bowman was voted Second XI Player of the Year, becoming a regular fixture in the side for both red and white ball competitions. Bowman impressed with 97 against Nottinghamshire whilst taking 12 catches behind the stumps, earning four appearances in the first team setup during the One Day Cup.