More than 200 guests gathered at Newclose County Cricket Ground to celebrate a successful season for Isle of Wight cricket.
Cricketers, coaches and volunteers from across the Isle of Wight came together for the Isle of Wight Cricket Board’s annual awards evening, recognising achievements at club and county level throughout the 2026 season.
The evening celebrated a year in which the Island’s cricket leagues attracted their highest number of teams for more than 5 years, alongside continued growth in junior and women’s cricket. Clubs across the Island have been creating opportunities for more young players, women and girls to take up the sport, while the dedication of volunteers remains central to its success.
Newport were among the biggest winners after securing another Division 1 championship. Opening batter Benji Shannon enjoyed an outstanding campaign, scoring more than 1,000 runs across league and cup competitions, while captain Ash Brett finished as the division’s leading wicket-taker with 25 league wickets, 10 more than any other bowler.
Freshwater claimed the Division 2 title, with Ryde II’s Billy Harris finishing as the division’s leading run-scorer and Cowes bowler Josh Jones taking the most wickets.
In the Women’s League, Ventnor Hot Mermaids completed a clean sweep of the honours, winning the championship while all-rounder Gemma Woodford topped both the batting and bowling statistics.
The strength of junior cricket was reflected in the distribution of silverware, with 6 different clubs celebrating success. Arreton, Cowes, Freshwater, Newport, Northwood and Ventnor all collected trophies during the season.
The evening also recognised the volunteers whose work behind the scenes keeps Island cricket thriving. Awards were presented to Joe Cuoghi, Des Wiltshire, Steve Brown, Peter Hernes, Peter McClelland and Kim Powell in recognition of their contributions to the sport.
Jez Robinson received the Will Luckett Award for Contributions off the Field, while Richard Webb was honoured with the Lifetime Achiever Award for his longstanding service to Island cricket.
The Isle of Wight’s county representative teams were also celebrated following a successful season across the age groups, from Under-10s through to the Over-50s.
Player of the Year awards were presented to Andy White, Monty Borman, Edward Bostock, Mallory Peace, Peter McClelland, Rufus Halson, Lily Gosden, Cooper Hall, James Curtis and Josh Ward, while George Griffith received the prestigious award for the Island’s 1st XI.
There was further cause for celebration as members of the Isle of Wight Super 9s Disability team received medals after finishing the season as Group D Super 9s Regional Winners. Among their outstanding individual achievements was that of Declan Whittington, who finished as the competition’s leading run-scorer nationally.
With more teams competing, growing participation among women and young players, and success across the county representative sides, the awards evening brought together the people responsible for another memorable year of Island cricket.
The celebrations at Newclose provided an opportunity not only to recognise the season’s outstanding performers but also to thank the coaches, officials and volunteers whose commitment makes cricket possible in communities throughout the Isle of Wight.
