15th September 2015
| Mallory Gray
Wales’ off-field cricket stars
have been rewarded at the annual NatWest OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket
Awards).
The awards recognise the vital
contribution that volunteers make to the game throughout Wales.
“Cricket simply would not exist
without the volunteers in clubs, leagues, boards and the community more
widely,” said Cricket Wales chief executive, Peter Hybart.
“The individuals, and in one
case the twins, who have won this year’s NatWest OSCAs represent the tip of the
iceberg as far as volunteering is concerned. Cricket in Wales is fortunate to
have such dedicated people who devote their time, energy and skills into the
sport.”
The 2015 Cricket Wales OSCAs
winners received their awards at The SSE SWALEC (formerly the SWALEC Stadium),
home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club.
The winners are:
Jonathan Finn, Cimla (Category; Get the Game On)
After being forced to give up cricket
due to serious injury, Cimla CC’s youngest-ever chairman, Jon Finn has shown
outstanding merit in keeping cricket alive at the club.
In the last year in particular,
Cimla CC has been threatened by local government cutbacks which saw the local
authority withdraw its playing fields and pavilion maintenance.
More than anyone, Jon has
stepped into the breach and has put in the hours necessary to ensure the ground
has been fit for play and, almost single-handedly, he has effected an overall
improvement.
On match-days, he acts as team
manager, match-host at home games, co-ordinates selection as well as his ground
duties and continues to have a positive influence on team affairs.
Brinley John, Llangennech, Llanelli (Leagues)
When Brinley John joined the
committee of Llangennech Cricket Club he took a keen interest in junior cricket
and initiated moves to establish a league.
At that initial meeting in 1973
officials were elected and Brinley took on the role that no-one else wanted,
Honorary Treasurer.
Initially he coached, organised
and umpired matches for Llangennech. Eventually, he handed over those roles to
younger people, but has maintained his role as treasurer of the Junior League.
He ensures that finances remain healthy and that all opportunities for grant
aid, sponsorship and council support are taken. At 86 and having served for 43
years he shows no signs of stepping down.
The South Wales Junior Cricket
League, probably the largest junior league in the country, was his idea and he
has been a driving force since the beginning.
Roy Emmott, Newport (NatWest CricketForce)
Roy is at the forefront of Newport
Fugitives CC’s Natwest CricketForce ground improvement programme each year -
planning the tasks for the days and getting together the manpower and
materials.
As a result of Roy’s work, the
club has developed relationships with local suppliers who provide materials and
sponsorship, and the club’s work has been highlighted in the media through
Cricket Wales.
Numbers have increased year on
year from under 10 to an average of 35, and on one occasion more than 50. Roy
has also gained involvement from local young offenders, who complete tasks with
a view to getting them away from a troubled background.
Work completed in recent years has
included new showers, basins and urinals, picket fence, patio areas with
benches , painting the pavilion, under hedge kick boards, as well as all the
tasks for getting set up for the season.
Mike Knight and Dave Knight, Newport (Heartbeat of the Club)
Mike and Dave are identical
twins who have been the stalwarts of Newport CC for 40 years. Both ex-school teachers, they devote most of
their spare time to club business and especially the development of young
cricketers.
They were involved in the
development of the youth section which resulted in Newport CC becoming UK Club
of the Year in 1991 and since then have been instrumental in promoting youth
development making Newport CC the premier club in this regard in Wales. Their
development of cricket for girls has been particularly impressive.
Consequently, the Club has
become the following:
• ECB U13 National Club Champions 2005 & 2010
• ECB U15 National Club Runners-Up 2007
• ECB Premier League National Champions 2013
• Lady Taverners ECB U13 UK Winners 2013 & 2014 and
Runners-Up 2011
• Lady Taverners ECB U15 UK Winners 2014 and Runners-Up
2013
• Sri Lankan training base for the 2013 ICC Trophy in
recognition of the high quality of its two pitches and four-bay all-weather
training area.
Currently, Mike and Dave’s roles
within the club cover the areas of: coaching (head and assistant), junior
administration, grounds maintenance, website administration, sponsorship,
fundraising, clothing sales and project management.
Derek Rees, Dunvant, Swansea (Lifetime Achiever)
After finishing a playing career
with Mumbles CC, Derek moved into umpiring with the South Wales Cricket
Association. During that time he has been an active member of the former Association
of Cricket Umpires and Scorers and then became an important contributor within
the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ACO) as a Local Trainer.
When the South Wales Premier
League was created Derek was a member of the inaugural umpire panel.
Over many years Derek has been
an active tutor/trainer within the Llanelli and District ACO, and he took over the chairmanship after the passing
of his good friend and colleague Ken James.
More recently Derek has taken on
the role as county performance officer for the South West Wales ACO (Llanelli
and Swansea) branches.
Now approaching his mid-70s, Derek
continues to umpire, and his eagerness to do so was illustrated again earlier
this season when he had laser eye surgery for a cataract only to be back out in
the middle within a week.
Maurice Leyland, Pembroke (Lifetime Achiever)
Maurice has been a member of Pembroke
Dock CC for 50 years, from the age of 18. He started volunteering to help clear
the land so that the club house could be built, and he went on to captain the
team which won the Alec Colley Cup in 1971.
Maurice has been the treasurer
since 1969, and since becoming the groundsman, he created a quality pitch and
outfield, on which the club hosts many senior and junior county matches.
In 1977 he instigated a pub six-a-side
tournament; which has been run every year since, and has raised more than £20,000.
Maurice has always worked
closely with local schools, marking out pitches for Kwik Cricket and rounders
tournaments. When other clubs have been unable to prepare a pitch or ground,
the cricket development officer will phone, with short notice, and Maurice
obliges.
All winners go on to represent
Cricket Wales at the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) OSCAs at Lord's on 12
October
Cyflwyno Gwobrau ‘OSCAs’
Criced Cymru
Cafodd unigolion sy’n serennu
oddi ar y maes yn y byd criced yng Nghymru eu gwobrwyo yn seremoni OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards) flynyddol
y NatWest.
Mae’r gwobrwyon yn cydnabod y
cyfraniad hanfodol a wneir gan wirfoddolwyr i’r gêm ledled Cymru.
“Ni fyddai criced yn bodoli o
gwbl heb y gwirfoddolwyr yn y clybiau, cynghreiriau, byrddau, a’r gymuned
ehangach,” meddai prif weithredwr Criced Cymru, Peter Hybart.
“Dim ond codi cwr y llen ar y
maes gwirfoddoli a wnawn ni drwy wobrwyo’r unigolion, ac mewn un achos,
efeilliaid, hyn a enillodd OSCAs y NatWest eleni. Mae Criced yng Nghymru’n ffodus iawn i gael
pobl mor ymroddgar sy’n rhoi cymaint o’u hamser, egni a sgiliau i’r gêm.”
Derbyniodd enillwyr OSCAs Criced
Cymru 2015 eu gwobrwyon yn SSE SWALEC (Stadiwm
SWALEC gynt), sef cartref Clwb Criced Morgannwg.
Dyma’r enillwyr:
Jonathan Finn, Cimla (Categori; Cadw’r Gêm yn Fyw)
Ar ôl cael ei orfodi i roi’r
gorau i chwarae criced yn dilyn anaf difrifol, mae cadeirydd ifancaf erioed
Clwb Criced Cimla, Jon Finn, yn haeddu pob clod am gadw criced yn fyw yn y
clwb.
Yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn
arbennig, bu Clwb Criced Cimla dan
fygythiad yn sgil toriadau gan y llywodraeth
leol, a olygai bod yr awdurdod lleol
wedi rhoi’r gorau i gynnal a chadw’r meysydd chwarae a’r pafiliwn.
Yn anad neb arall, camodd Jon
i’r adwy ac mae wedi ymroi i wneud y gwaith angenrheidiol i sicrhau bod y llain
yn addas i chwarae arni, ac heb fawr o gymorth, mae wedi llwyddo i wella’r cyfleusterau’n
gyffredinol.
Ar ddyddiau gêm mae’n rheolwr tîm, yn croesawu’r
ymwelwyr, ac yn gyfrifol am ddethol chwaraewyr yn ogystal â gofalu am y llain,
ac mae’n parhau i gael dylanwad positif trwyddi draw.
Brinley John, Llangennech, Llanelli (Cynghreiriau)
Pan ymunodd Brinley John â phwyllgor Clwb Criced
Llangennech dechreuodd gymryd diddordeb mawr mewn criced iau ac aeth ati i
sefydlu cynghrair.
Yn y cyfarfod cyntaf yn 1973
etholwyd swyddogion a derbyniodd Brinley’r rôl nad oedd unrhyw un arall ei
eisiau, sef Trysorydd Anrhydeddus.
Ar y dechrau bu’n hyfforddi, trefnu a dyfarnu
gemau ar gyfer Llangennech. Yn nes
ymlaen, trosglwyddodd y rolau hynny i bobl iau, ond mae wedi parhau gyda’i rôl
fel trysorydd y Gynghrair Iau. Mae’n
gwneud yn siwr bod y sefyllfa ariannol yn un iach, ac yn manteisio ar bob cyfle
i ymgeisio am grantiau, nawdd a chefnogaeth gan y cyngor. Yn 86 oed, mae wedi gwasanaethu’r clwb am
dros 43 o flynyddoedd a does dim arwydd ei fod yn bwriadu rhoi’r gorau
iddi. Ei syniad ef oedd Cynghrair Criced
Iau De Cymru, sef cynghrair criced iau fwyaf y wlad mae’n siwr, a bu’n ysgogiad
pwysig o’r cychwyn cyntaf.
Roy Emmott, Casnewydd (NatWest CricketForce)
Mae Roy yn un o geffylau blaen
rhaglen gwella lleiniau menter Natwest CricketForce Clwb Criced Newport
Fugitives bob blwyddyn – yn cynllunio tasgau’r dydd ac yn dod â’r gweithlu a’r
defnyddiau at ei gilydd.
O ganlyniad i waith Roy, mae’r clwb wedi datblygu
perthynas â chyflenwyr lleol sy’n darparu defnyddiau a nawdd, ac mae gwaith y
clwb wedi cael sylw yn y cyfryngau trwy gyfrwng Criced Cymru.
Mae’r niferoedd wedi cynyddu o
un flwyddyn i’r llall, o dros 10 i gyfartaledd o 35, ac ar un achlysur, dros
50. Mae Roy wedi llwyddo i gael
troseddwyr ifanc lleol i gymryd rhan, sy’n cwblhau tasgau, yn y gobaith o’u
denu i ffwrdd o’u cefndiroedd cythryblus.
Mae’r gwaith a gwblhawyd dros y
blynyddoedd diwethaf yn cynnwys cawodydd newydd ac ailwampio’r toiledau, ffens
bolion, ardaloedd patio gyda meinciau, paentio’r pafiliwn, byrddau cicio dan y
gwrychoedd, yn ogystal â’r holl dasgau paratoi ar gyfer y tymor.
Mike Knight a Dave Knight, Casnewydd (Curiad Calon y Clwb)
Mae Mike a Dave yn efeilliaid unfath a fu ymhlith
hoelion wyth Clwb Criced Casnewydd ers deugain mlynedd bellach. Yn gyn-athrawon, mae’r ddau’n rhoi’r rhan
fwyaf o’u hamser sbâr i faterion y clwb ac yn arbennig i ddatblygiad cricedwyr
ifanc.
Roeddent yn rhan o’r broses o
ddatblygu’r adran iau a helpodd i sicrhau teitl ‘UK Club of the Year’ i Glwb
Criced Casnewydd yn 1991, ac ers hynny maent wedi chwarae rhan allweddol yn
hyrwyddo datblygiad ieuenctid, gan roi CC Casnewydd ar flaen y gad yn y maes
hwnnw. Bu eu gwaith yn datblygu criced i
ferched yn hynod o glodwiw hefyd.
O ganlyniad mae’r Clwb wedi cael
y llwyddiant canlynol:
• Pencampwyr Cenedlaethol D13 Clybiau’r ECB 2005 a 2010
• Ail Safle Pencampwriaeth Genedlaethol D15 Clybiau’r ECB
2007
• Pencampwyr Cenedlaethol Prif Gynghrair yr ECB 2013
• Enillwyr Lady Taverners yr ECB D13 (DU) 2013 a 2014 ac
Ail Safle 2011
• Enillwyr Lady Taverners yr ECB D15 (DU) 2014 ac Ail
Safle 2013
• Safle hyfforddi Sri Lanka ar gyfer Tlws yr ICC 2013 yn sgil ansawdd uchel lleiniau’r clwb a’i
ardal hyfforddi pedair rhan, addas at
bob tywydd.
Ar hyn o bryd mae rolau Mike a
Dave o fewn y clwb yn cynnwys: hyfforddi
(pennaeth a chynorthwyydd), gweinyddiaeth iau, gofalu am y lleiniau, rhedeg y
wefan, casglu nawdd, codi arian, gwerthu dillad a rheoli prosiectau.
Derek Rees, Dyfnant, Abertawe (Cyflawniad Oes)
Ar ôl rhoi’r gorau i chwarae
gyda Chlwb Criced y Mwmbwls, dechreuodd Derek ddyfarnu gyda Chymdeithas Criced
De Cymru. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw bu’n
aelod gweithgar o’r Gymdeithas Dyfarnwyr a Sgorwyr Criced gynt, cyn mynd yn ei
flaen i wneud cyfraniad pwysig gyda Chymdeithas Swyddogion Criced (ACO) yr ECB
fel Hyfforddwr Lleol.
Pan grëwyd Prif Gynghrair De Cymru roedd Derek yn
aelod o’r panel dyfarnu cyntaf.
Dros nifer fawr o flynyddoedd mae Derek wedi bod
yn diwtor/hyfforddwr gweithgar gyda Chymdeithas Swyddogion Criced (ACO)
Llanelli a’r Fro, a daeth yn gadeirydd yn dilyn marwolaeth ei gyfaill agos a’i
gydweithiwr, Ken James.
Yn fwy diweddar mae Derek wedi
ymgymryd â rôl swyddog perfformiad sirol canghennau De Orllewin Cymru o’r ACO
(Llanelli ac Abertawe).
Mae Derek, sy’n agosáu at ganol ei saithdegau, yn
parhau i ddyfarnu, a gwelwyd ei awydd brwd i wneud hynny unwaith eto’n
gynharach y tymor hwn pan gafodd driniaeth laser i’w lygad, ac yna dychwelyd i
ddyfarnu o fewn wythnos.
Maurice Leyland, Penfro (Cyflawniad Oes)
Mae Maurice wedi bod yn aelod o Glwb Criced Doc
Penfro am 50 mlynedd, ers ei fod yn ddeunaw oed. Dechreuodd wirfoddoli drwy helpu i glirio’r
tir ar gyfer adeiladu ty’r clwb, ac aeth yn ei flaen i ddod yn gapten ar y tîm
a enillodd Cwpan Alec Colley yn 1971.
Bu Maurice yn drysorydd y clwb ers 1969, ac ers
iddo ddod yn dirmon, mae wedi creu llain ac allfaes o ansawdd uchel, a
ddefnyddir i gynnal nifer o gemau sirol hyn ac iau.
Yn 1977 sefydlodd dwrnamaint
tafarndai chwech-bob-ochr, sydd wedi’i gynnal bob blwyddyn ers hynny, ac wedi
codi dros £20,000.
Mae Maurice bob amser wedi gweithio’n agos gydag ysgolion lleol, gan farcio’r lleiniau ar gyfer
twrnameintiau KwikCricket a rownderi.
Pan fydd clybiau eraill wedi methu â pharatoi llain neu faes, bydd y
swyddog datblygu criced yn ffonio Maurice ar fyr rybudd ac mae bob amser yn
barod i helpu.
Mae’r holl enillwyr yn mynd
ymlaen i gynrychioli Criced Cymru yn OSCAs Bwrdd Criced Cymru a Lloegr (ECB) yn
Lord's ar 12 Hydref.