O'Leary top junior cricketer

Collegiate's Connor O'Leary is the first new player in three seasons to be named Cricket Wanganui's Junior of the Year.

This year's Cricket Wanganui Junior Player of Year was always going to be a fresh face after the departure of Jessica Watkin from the junior ranks, and last weekend it was Collegiate's Connor O'Leary who added his golden plate to the shield.

The 17-year-old pace bowler will become only the third player in five seasons to be named Junior Player of the Year, following inaugural holder Brett Cameron (2013) and the repeat winner Watkin (2014-16).

With the Under 15 and Under 17 representative teams having already broken up for the school holidays, the prize giving centred more on the Under 11's, 12's and 13's.

But still, O'Leary had by far the standout year of all the juniors, which included appearances for Active Physio Wanganui in senior Hawke Cup representative cricket.

His performances for his school and in Under 17 representative cricket earned him selection for the Central Districts Under 17's at the national tournament in Lincoln, Canterbury.

Those games in turn earned him a tremendous opportunity as a callup to the New Zealand youth team put together by the Willows Cricket Club, who have now gone on a tour of Sri Lanka and Singapore.

The other award winners were

Under 11 - Best Batsman: Mathew Hocquard; Best Bowler: Oliver Hutchins; Most Valuable: Mathew Hocquard; Most Improved: Connor Rees.

Under 12 - MVP: Carter Hobbs; Most Improved: George Pearce; Best Batsman: Blake Hoskins; Best Bowler: Josh Allpress.

Under 13 - MVP: Shaun O'Leary; Most Improved: Adam Beard; Best Bowler: Andrew Dickson; Best Batsman: Zane Munn.

Under 15 - MVP: Hayden Skou; Most Improved: Joseph Abernethy; Best Batsman: Harry Godfrey; Best Bowler: Hadleigh O'Leary; Barry Toms Cup (Former 1st Class Wellington Player) Most Promising U15 bowler: Joel Clark.

Under 17 - MVP: Akash Gill; Most Improved: Charlie Greatbatch; Best Batsman: Akash Gill; Best Bowler: Connor O'Leary.