Country Cricket NSW Award recipients named

_{Pictured: Caoimhe Bray and Sienna Eve (R) celebrate a wicket at the Female National Championships}

Emerging wicket-taking sensation Sienna Eve, 19, and Greater Illawarra cricketer Ethan Debono took out the major accolades.   

A stellar representative season culminating in Australian U19 selection earned Newcastle’s Sienna Eve the Alex Blackwell Medal for Female Player of the Season.  

Debono, who starred for the NSW Bush Blues in his maiden Australian Country Cricket Championships (ACCC), was awarded the Josh Hazlewood Medal for Male Player of the Season.  

Caoimhe Bray and Bailey Abela were presented as the Kookaburra Female and Male Youth Player of the Year, respectively.  

Hailing from Central Northern zone, Bray finished the U16 Female National Championships competition as the leading run-scorer and was subsequently named in the Team of the Tournament.  

A Greater Illawarra native, Abela played his way into the Country squad for the U19 National Championships as well as earning selection into the NSW Bush Blues team for the ACCC and an U19 NSW red-ball squad for a clash against Victoria.   

Phil Rainger (Newcastle) was named Country Umpire of the Year and Sam O’Connor (Riverina) earned the Country Coach of the Year award. 

Simon Porter was awarded the Country Curator of the Year accolade for his consistently excellent presentation of Newcastle No.1 and Waratah Oval.  

Mike Porter (Armidale DCA/Central Northern) was acknowledged through the Contribution to Country Cricket Award.  

Country Cricket NSW annual awards winners: 

Alex Blackwell Medal (Female Player of the Year) - Sienna Eve (Newcastle) 

Josh Hazlewood Medal (Male Player of the Year) - Ethan Debono (Greater Illawarra) 

Kookaburra Female Youth Player of the Year - Caoimhe Bray (Central Northern) 

Kookaburra Male Youth Player of the Year - Bailey Abela (Greater Illawarra) 

NSW Country Umpire of the Year - Phil Rainger (Newcastle) 

NSW Country Coach of the Year - Sam O'Connor (Riverina) 

NSW Country Curator of the Year - Simon Porter (Newcastle No 1 and Waratah Oval 

Contribution to Country Cricket - Mike Porter (Armidale DCA/Central Northern)