Cricket NSW Announces 2025 Community Cricket Award Winners

Cricket NSW proudly announces the winners of the 2025 Community Cricket Awards in 15 categories, as a recognition for our volunteers, leaders and outstanding initiatives in NSW community cricket.   

Among the main club-based awards, Community Club of the Year was won by the Thornleigh Cricket Club for its focus on inclusivity, breaking down volunteer roles and recent participation growth, while Harris Park Cricket Club won the Women & Girls Initiative for its Girls’ Cricket League.  

The major two individual awards in this year’s list went to females. The Volunteer of the Year award went to Cynthia Rouse of the Eastern Suburbs CC, while Newcastle City and Eastern Districts CC’s Alyssa Wharton, with a long list of achievements, has been named Young Leader of the Year at just 21. 

Another outstanding award, the Woolworths Cricket Blast Coordinator of the Year, a category introduced in 2024, was won by Shane Wilson of the Kiama Cavaliers Cricket Club (CC). Wilson and his club turned Cricket Blast around at Kiama Cavaliers by creating a fun, themed environment on Friday nights that is a great hit with children and parents alike.  

The Coach of the Year award this year has been presented to Dave Neil, who lives by the mantra of making people better through cricket. Neil coaches several teams in Orange CYMS CC and has even started a program in nearby Molong just so the children there can play and love cricket. 

This year’s Junior Initiative award went to Warringah Cricket Club for organising a Gala Day with a difference, aimed at engaging the local junior cricket community throughout the Northern Beaches. The event was held at the club’s home grounds — Weldon Oval, Frank Gray, and Mike Pawley Oval and featured a carnival-style atmosphere with "hit the sign" prizes, a BBQ lunch for all participants, and a vibrant, inclusive environment. 

Meanwhile on the Central Coast, Charmhaven Indoor Sports, was adjudged the best Indoor Sports Facility. The indoor centre, under the leadership of Mark Leard, has become a cornerstone of cricket development for the northern end of the Central Coast, and Leard provided the facility free of charge for clubs’ pre-season and during the season to significantly enhance grassroots cricket in the region. 

Also in Sydney’s cricket heartland, Mark Gardner of Matthew Pearce Public School won this year’s Celebrating Cricket in Schools Award, while Ken Bakon of Parramatta District Cricket Umpires’ Association took the honours as Community Match Official of the Year.  

This year, Cricket NSW received 229 nominations across the 15 categories from members of the community.  

All NSW award winners have been nominated for the Cricket Australia Community Cricket Awards, to be announced during National Volunteer Week in May 2025.    

Full list of 2025 Cricket NSW Community Cricket Awards: