By Charles Randall

7 November 2015


The ECB delayed releasing details from the October OSCAs out of respect for one of the winners, who died in a motor accident returning home after the ceremony at Lord's.

Ashley Doyle, 27, a front-seat passenger, was killed and six fellow members of Uphill Castle CC were injured when their vehicle left the road on the M4 in Berkshire on their way back to Weston-super-Mare. They had received an award for their involvement in the NatWest Under-19 club T20.

Doyle's death stunned the local community, and tributes flowed in from far and wide, including support from the ECB and the Somerset and Gloucestershire county clubs. The Somerset all-rounder Peter Trego tweeted: “Lost for words but I know everyone at the club will be strong and offer total support and love where needed the most”

Uphill Castle issued a statement: “As you can imagine, this has been some of the hardest hours many people and the club as a whole has ever been through. All of us have lost a brother, true friend and team-mate and we will never ever get over that. Ashley will always live in our hearts, and every time we look up we know Ash will be looking over us, hoping we ain’t in that duck suit and most of all winning. The club would like to thank everyone of the cricket family worldwide that has taken the time to pray, send their love or just let us be in their thoughts. We cannot thank you enough from the bottom of hearts.”

Doyle, a radio producer at the Bristol-based The Breeze, was cremated at Weston-super-Mare on 28 October.

The NatWest-sponsored Outstanding Services to Cricket Awards lunch, in its 13th year honouring volunteers for their work, was attended by the England men and women's captain Eoin Morgan and Charlotte Edwards, former England captain Andrew Strauss and the radio broadcaster Jonathan Agnew among the 400 people present. The winners ranged in age from 20 to 76, including coaches, umpires, administrators and club cricketers.

NatWest OSCA awards 2015

Get the Game On
Graeme Smith - North Yorkshire, South Durham Cricket League
Also nominated: Mick Brown (Ashington CC, Northumberland), Stuart Clarke (Linden Park CC, Kent)

Heartbeat of the Club
Jock Spry - Thorverton CC, Devon
Also nominated: Susan Derben (Taunton CC), Roger Lewis (Solihull Blossomfield CC, Warwickshire)

Leagues and Boards
Gary Stanley - West Sussex Invitation Cricket League, Sussex Cricket Board
Also nominated: Stuart Lampitt (Worcestershire Board junior competitions),
Keith Robson (North East Premier League, Durham)

Lifetime Achievers
John Gurney - Sandy CC, Bedfordshire
Also nominated: Tom Boore (Gloucestershire Cricket Board), Bernard Ellis (Farnham CC, Essex)

NatWest CricketForce
Jim Yorath - Turnham Green and Polytechnic CC, Middlesex
Also nominated: Jill Ainscough (Bedfordshire Cricket Club), Simon Wood (Brighton & Hove Crescent CC, Sussex)

Officiating, Umpires & Scorers
John Golding – Berkshire Cricket Officials Association
Also nominated: Graeme Hall (Kent Association of Cricket Officials), Rob Smith (Yorkshire Cricket Board Association of Cricket Officials)

Young Volunteer
Adam Nichol - Ashington CC, Northumberland
Also nominated: Ashley Cartwright (Tibberton CC; Shropshire County League),
Harry Johnson (Ruddington & Clifton Village CC, Nottinghamshire)

Outstanding Contribution to Coaching
Alan Hyatt - Kings Heath CC, Warwickshire
Also nominated: Steve Amison (Bredbury St Marks CC, Cheshire), Patrick Tonks (Haxey CC, Lincolnshire)

Coach of the Year
Edwin Lee - Ratby CC, Leicestershire
Also nominated: Phil Lewin (Abbots Langley CC, Hertfordshire), Saba Nasim  (Wanstead CC, Essex)

Young Coach of the Year
Matt Earl – Kettering Town CC, Northamptonshire
Also nominated: Joseph Martin (Lancashire), Adam Nichol (Northumberland)

NatWest U19 T20 Blast Club of the Year
Uphill Castle CC (Castle Thunder)