THE junior cricket season finally drew to a close at Skipton Cricket Club with the junior awards evening marking the achievements of players across the club's seven sides.

A total 21 performance related awards were handed out the best batters, bowlers and fielders of the season across all teams, with additional awards presented to the manager's player of the season in each team. Junior clubs person of the year was awarded to Mila Feeney for her efforts as both a player and scorer.

Malcolm Birks, club chairman said: "From early season games where car headlights were needed to illuminate the final throes of matches right through to having drinks breaks every five overs at Earby during the heatwave at the end of July it's been a truly memorable season for all our junior teams."

The under- 9 side was undefeated in the softball development conference, winning all nine of its matches. And although there was no silverware on offer, the team did make up for it at SkipFest in June where the team again won all its matches to lift the trophy.

In the under-11s - girls and boys, Skipton had both a hardball team and a girl's softball side. The hardball team competed well in a strong league and finished mid-table with four wins out of ten. In the first season of girl's cricket at the club both Jasmine Dortona and Ellie Walters were selected for the Yorkshire age group side.

In the under-13s, the club's U13a team narrowly missed out on silverware in both the league and at SkipFest; with Settle pipping them to the title in the league and Earby edging them out in a close SkipFest semi-final. Meanwhile, the 13B development side provided a great platform for those playing standard cricket rules for the first time to get to grips with this format of the game.

It was a glorious season for the Skipton under-15s, with the A-team winning league, cup and the UAJCA conference play-off championship.

The culmination to the season being back-to-back wins against the always strong Great Horton Church to secure the two trophies that really matter. Meanwhile, the B-development team, made up mostly of U-13 players, started the season looking slightly terrified of the size of the opposition and struggling to get to grips with the bigger ball and full- length pitch, but finished in fine style with wins against Upper Wharfedale, Sutton and Earby. U15a captain, Joe Birks, who made a stunning hundred for North Yorkshire early in the season, went on to represent the Yorkshire age-group squad.

Cricket will resume at Skipton Cricket Club in early 2023, with winter nets running every Sunday evening from late January. To find out more e-mail the club - skiptoncricketclub@icloud.com.