Nelson Cricket wrapped up the 2025–26 season with a celebration at Saxton Oval last week, recognising standout performances across club and representative cricket at its end of season awards night.
More than 30 trophies were presented to clubs and individuals, highlighting both consistency and excellence across the summer.
The Vonda Edwards Trophy for most club runs went to ACOB batsman Liam Baird, while the Syd Guppy Trophy for most club wickets was claimed by his ACOB team-mate Matthew O’Sullivan.
Matthew also collected the prestigious Ramblers Cricket Club Cricketer of the Year award, recognising his performances across all formats throughout the season.
WTTU were awarded the Sellon Shield, nominated by premier umpires for best and fairest team, as well as the Ruby Rainey Memorial Trophy for winning the round robin stage of the 50 over competition.
Representative honours were shared by all-rounders Logan Andrews and Ronan Restieaux, with WTTU’s Logan named representative bowler of the year and Ronan awarded representative batter of the year.
Nelson players competing at higher levels were also acknowledged on the night. Josh Clarkson is currently overseas with the Blackcaps in Bangladesh, while former Nelson Griffin Peter Younghusband is with the New Zealand A team in Sri Lanka, joined by Nelson opening bowler Jarrod Mackay.
Jarrod’s younger brother Caleb was also recognised, receiving the representative players’ player of the year award and being acknowledged for his performances for Otago A this season.
Nelson Cricket general manager Jake Inwood says the season delivered success both on and off the field.
"The 2025/26 season has been an extremely successful one for cricket across our region. We've seen strong participation growth with 81 teams taking part in our competitions, and over 1,200 people playing cricket. This represents a 26% and 18% increase from 2023/24 respectively.
"A real highlight has been the launch of the Nelson Women's Cricket Club, which fielded five teams in its first year. This is a fantastic step forward for the women's game locally. We've also embraced innovation, trialling Machine Ball Cricket (MBC), a concept developed by Chris Cairns and Garry MacDonald, for our Year 3 and 4 Grade. MBC was extremely well received by our community, enhancing the experience and enjoyment of our young cricketers."
