The Taradale year 6 Superleague team members who collected their club's spoils as the 2017-18 champions. Photo/supplied
While results become an ideal endorsement of why people receive awards at the end of a sporting season, it's easy to miss the intangible attributes of individuals.
Ask Hawke's Bay Cricket Association high performance operations manager Craig Ross what the common thread is that runs through myriad junior and senior cricketers who were the toast of the prizegiving night at the RC McInnes Pavilion at Nelson Park, Napier, on Wednesday last week and he aptly sums it up.
"Playing well under pressure," Ross says, adding it isn't just for the quest of winning silverware in competitions but also players pushing for higher honours, whether they be for youngsters trying to claim berths in age-group representative teams or elite seniors putting up figures for a call-up to the Central Districts Stags and Hinds or the New Zealand teams.
Harry Young, the Hawke's Bay Mavericks Player of the Year recipient, he says is a typical example.
Young, an under-18 Bay representative, scored 225 runs at an average of 45 and has given his chances for playing for CD a huge boost.
"Harry played with the confidence afforded this season within this team. He has a fantastic work ethic and openness to learning throughout the season," he says of Young, who didn't let his coaches down among the top order.
"Most importantly, Harry provided a stable platform for the Mavericks team to set or chase targets," he says of the Bayley's Real Estate Havelock North CC premier club member.
Ross says players tend to bring myriad skills, which only rise to the top when that pressure kicks in.
He says it's exciting to see the number of players coming through the HBCA academy, which augurs well for the future.
It also is a big tick for the all-round commitment from everyone to ensure the learning process is ongoing through winter.
"We're very excited at where we're at in both the men's and women's games where we have very, very good players who are working hard, so we couldn't ask any more from them, really."
You Travel Taradale CC premier men's seamer Ben Stoyanoff etched his name on the Kilbirnie Sports-sponsored Senior Men's Players' Player of the Year award, presented for the first time.
The award acknowledges how players see their peers in two areas - performing significantly on the park and contributing the most to the collective both on and off the park throughout the season.
Stoyanoff was one of six nominees. He claimed 21 wickets at 17.67 with a best of 6-25.
"Ben stepped up to lead the bowling attack and his uncompromising effort on the park is obvious. Off the park, Stoynny is a popular member of the team," says Ross.
Big Barrel Napier Technical Old Boys player Robbie Brigham collected the Billy Hughes Cup for the outstanding secondary schoolboy.
Brigham, who has been helping his premier club side claim the crown at the 2017-18 NZCT National Club Championship at Cornwall Park in Auckland this week, set his goals in March last year and trained with purpose and regularity in the pre-season phase.
"This paid off for him as early-season performances led to a Pay Excellence Hawke's Bay Senior Men's Representative team debut and then selection in the CD under-19 team for the national age-group tournament," says Ross.
Brigham also represented the CD men's selection team against Afghanistan in the warm-up match late December for the ICC Under-19 World Cup tournament in New Zealand early this year.
Rosemary Mair claimed the Ransford Bat for the most promising under-21 cricketer in the province.
Mair has stepped up to become a leading strike bowler and effective middle-order batsman for the Central Districts Hinds in the women's domestic competition.
"Her consistent performances for this team were recognised when Rosemary was selected in a NZ Selection XI for a game against the West Indies. With the same work ethic and improvement of skills the next few seasons could see more New Zealand opportunities for Rosemary," he says after the Windies game at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth last month.
NTOB allrounder Christian Leopard lifted the Budge Grant Memorial Trophy for the most promising under-23 cricketer.
Leopard, who also is with his premier side at the club nationals in Auckland, is a former New Zealand under-19 representative.
"Christian performs to a consistent and high level for Hawke's Bay and this season demonstrated his undoubted skills on the white-ball stage for the Central Districts Stags. The best is yet to come for Christian," says Ross.
Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall CC captain Jacob Smith won the Harry Findlay Cup for the Hawke's Bay senior men's player of the year.
Smith was a nominee alongside James Field, CD Stags and Havelock North batsman Bradley Schmulian, Taradale South African import Dean Foxcroft and Leopard for their consistent batting.
Stoyanoff and Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay CC premier club South African import allrounder GC Pretorius were contenders as bowlers.
"[Jacob] approached each game with skill and resilience in his role within the team. He performed to a very high level and played innings that contributed to significant wins for the Bay senior men," says Ross.
"Leadership is something he takes on and achieving goals as a team is always at the forefront of his mind."
Smith scored 401 runs at 50.13, including two centuries and a high score of 120.
The Bay men's captain took six catches in the rep field last summer.
SENIOR WINNERS
Competitions
■ Hugh Sail Memorial Cup Mercantile best & fairest: Rolled Bowled.
■ Napier Twilight Cricket Shield overall winner: Scindians.
■ Ian and Beth Curley Challenge Cup women's championship: Napier Old Boys' Marist - 42pts.
■ Div 3 championship: Cornwall CC.
■ Wednesday Challenge Cup div 3 grade championship: Havelock North CC.
■ Div 2b championship winner: Celtic CC.
■ Div 2 round-robin winners: Napier Pirates Rugby & Sports Club.
■ Div 2 championship: Napier Pirates Rugby & Sports Club.
■ Div 1 T20 winners: Lindisfarne College.
■ Div 1 45-over comp: St John's College.
■ RC MacInnes div 1 championship: Napier Boys' High School.
■ Kilbirnie Sports Twenty/20 tournament winners: Onslow CC/Central HBCC.
■ Premier National Knock Out Cup: Big Barrel Napier Technical Old Boys CC.
■ Premier 55-over championship: NTOB, 53.01
■Murray McKearney Memorial Napier Old Boys' Marist CC Cup premier T20 championship: Ruahine Motors Central Hawke's Bay CC.
■ MJF Shrimpton Memorial Cup premier championship limited overs: Bayleys Real Estate Havelock North CC.
■ HBCA Challenge Cup premier championship: Napier Tech Old Boys CC, 152.01.
■ LD Carter Memorial Cup club pts: Cornwall CC, 296.75.
CRICHQ MVP
■ Premier grade: GC Pretorius, Central HB 195.24.
■ Div 1: Jeremy Kuru, NTOB, 160.01.
■ Div 2: James Crowther, Cornwall CC, 110.67.
UMPIRES
■ John MacDermott Memorial Trophy most improved umpire: Garth Jones.
■ HBCA Premier's Captains' Umpires Award: Kirk Doyle.
WOMEN
■ Cath Atkins Bowling Trophy club aggregate: Cate Pedersen.
■ Cath Atkins Batting Trophy club aggregate: Rosemary Mair and Lydia Healey.
■ Megan Graham Batting Trophy (most runs for HB): Rosemary Mair.
■ Cath Atkins Bowling Trophy (most wickets for HB): Rosemary Mair.
■ Most promising wicketkeeper: Aimee Kay.
MEN
■ Maurice Jeffery Memorial Cup premier fielding team: Central Hawke's Bay CC.
■ Alan Beck Memorial Cup individual fielding: Graeme Tryon.
■ Fulton Cup fastest century: Indika Senarathne 101no off 61 balls Tech v NOBM, 17-11-2017.
■ Don Martin Trophy best performance bowling: Bryce Green, 6 for 22 off 8.3 overs, Cornwall v Central HB.
■ MJF Shrimpton Cup batting (most runs): Dean Foxcroft 924 runs @ 46.20, 581 Club & 343 HB.
■ Barry Mason Memorial Cup bowling (most wickets): GC Pretorius 56 wkts @ 17.75, 36 club & 20 HB.
■ Villers Cup premier batting (best average): Brad Schmulian 635 runs @ 57.73.
■ Hanlon Cup premier bowling (best average): Jayden Lennox 45 wickets @ 12.18.
INDIVIDUALS
■ Mavericks player of the year: Harry Young.
■ Senior men's players' player of the year: Ben Stoyanoff.
■ Billy Hughes Cup outstanding secondary schoolboy: Robbie Brigham.
■ Ransford Bat most promising U21: Rosemary Mair.
■ Budge Grant Memorial Trophy most promising U23: Christian Leopard.
■Harry Findlay Cup Hawke's Bay senior men's player of the year: Jacob Smith.
JUNIORS
For the 2017-18 season:
Superleague
■ Colts: Napier Technical Old Boys (NTOB).
■ Year 8: NTOB.
■ Year 7: Cornwall.
■ Year 6: Taradale.
HB reps
■ HB junior player of the year: Joey Field.
■ Secondary school player of the year: Robbie Brigham.
■ Most promising secondary school spinner: Brandon Roberts.
■ Most promising intermediate player: Sam Cassidy.
■ Most promising intermediate wicketkeeper: Charlie Pawson.
Teams
■ U17, batting: William Clark 217 runs @ 54.25 average. High score, 114 v HKCA.
Bowling: Joey Field 10 wkts @ 7.5 runs a wkt.
Fielding: Joey Field 3 catches, dynamic within 30m circle.
■ U15, batting: Toby Findlay 156 runs @ 31.20 average. High score, 78 v HKCA.
Bowling: Fred Mowat 15 wkts @ 8.93 runs a wkt.
Fielding: Baylee Foote 9 catches.
■ U14, batting: Sam Cassidy 216 runs @ 108 average. Strike rate of 96. High score, 105no v Manawatu.
Bowling: Josh Fairbrother 7 wkts @ 9.14 runs a wkt.
Fielding: Lovepreet Singh Padda all-round best, including a catch.
■ U13 (includes any Nth Island yr 7-8 team performances):
Batting: Jonty Elmes 189 runs @ 37.80 average. High score, 77no off 51 balls v Wellington Inv.
Bowling: Evan Simpson 9 wkts @ 5.22 runs a wkt.
Fielding: James Harper all-round best, including 3 catches.