Hot Shots Rewarded At Lord’s

With the autumn evening’s chill dispelled by the traditional sparkling reception, courtesy of Veuve Clicquot, a packed Long Room hummed with a warm glow at this year’s Walter Lawrence Presentation Dinner celebrations at Lord’s on November 3rd.

Hosted once again with consummate dexterity by former Kent captain and MCC President, Matthew Fleming, the dinner featured presentations to the award winners from this year and last and ended with a memorable contribution from special guest Sir Andrew Strauss OBE.

Sadly, Liam Livingstone, the 2021 Walter Lawrence Trophy winner, awarded for the fastest hundred of the season, was busy on World T20 Cup duty and the only winner unable to attend. The 28-year-old’s scorching 42-ball century scored for England against Pakistan in the 1st T20 International at Trent Bridge on July 16, including 9 sixes and 6 fours, smashed two England T20 records in the process, the fastest 50 in 17 balls – eclipsing Eoin Morgan’s 21-balls – and the fastest hundred, beating Dawid Malan’s 48-baller.

A right-hand bat, who bowls right-arm off-spin and leg-breaks, Liam’s exhilarating displays with the bat won him the Player of the Series award in the inaugural season of The Hundred, and he is the first player to win the Walter Lawrence Trophy with an England innings since the rule changed from ‘minutes taken’ to ‘balls received’ in 1985.

Helping hand: In Liam Livingstone's absence Andrew Strauss accepted the Walter Lawrence Trophy, a special medallion, a cheque for £2,500 and a magnum of Veuve Cliquot on his behalf from host Matthew Fleming.
Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

However, with the 2020 Walter Lawrence Presentation Dinner cancelled by Covid, happily last year’s Trophy winner, Joe Clarke, was present along with the 2020 Walter Lawrence Women’s Award winner, Georgia Adams.

Joe Clarke of Nottinghamshire Outlaws was the runaway winner of last year’s Walter Lawrence Trophy with a blazing 44-ball hundred, which included 7 fours and 8 sixes, scored in the 2020 Vitality Blast match against Durham on August 29. The 25-year-old, who came close to winning the Trophy again this year with a 49-ball hundred, is the seventh Nottinghamshire player to win the Walter Lawrence Trophy, now in its 86th year, joining Joe Hardstaff in 1937, Cyril Poole (1949), Garfield Sobers (1968 and 1974), Paul Johnson (1993), Chris Cairns (1995) and Mark Ealham (2006).

One year on: 2020 Walter Lawrence Trophy winner, Joe Clarke, collects his spoils from Andrew Strauss.
Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

Amy Jones won this year’s Walter Lawrence Women’s Award with an unbeaten innings of 163, scored for Central Sparks against Western Storm, in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy match at Birmingham on May 31. Her winning innings scored off 114 balls and including 17 fours and 6 sixes, propelled her side to a total of 295-7 that set up a 41-run victory in the 50-over game. The in-form 28-year-old England wicket-keeper/batter’s sparkling knock, scored off 114 balls with 17 fours and 6 sixes, followed a stirring run-a-ball 114 against Northern Diamonds two days previously.

A powerful striker of the ball, Amy has become an England regular across all formats since 2018, often opening the batting, and now ‘keeping on a permanent basis after Sarah Taylor’s retirement in 2019. To date, Amy has played in 2 Tests, 55 One-Day Internationals and 63 T20 Internationals.

As well as playing for Loughborough Lightning and Central Sparks, Amy captained Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred and has also represented Warwickshire Women, Sydney Sixers and Perth Scorchers. She is the tenth winner of the Award since its inception, joining England’s Heather Knight, Natalie Sciver and Tammy Beaumont.

Wonder women: (Above) Amy Jones, winner of the 2021 Walter Lawrence Women's Award, receives a special medallion, a cheque for £2,500 and a magnum of Veuve Cliquot from Andrew Strauss and Lauren Clark, widow of the late Bob Willis. (Below) It's the turn of 2020 winner Georgia Adams to receive her rewards.
Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

Last year’s Walter Lawrence Women’s Award winner was Georgia Adams with a stunning unbeaten score of 154 for Southern Vipers against Western Storm in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy. The 28-year-old Vipers captain and opener hit 20 fours in her innings off 155 balls at the Ageas Bowl on September 13.

Georgia, who is the daughter of former England, Derbyshire and Sussex cricketer and coach, Chris Adams, completed a sensational campaign in The RHF trophy by skippering her side to victory against Northern Diamonds in the Final at Edgbaston and her outstanding performances in the tournament, in which she accrued 500 runs at an average of 83, saw her win the Most Valuable Player award.

The 2021 Walter Lawrence University Award was won by Jack Timby of Leeds/Bradford UCCE with an innings of 152 scored against Loughborough UCCE at Loughborough on April 15. His 152 , scored off 152 balls, beat the record for the highest individual score by a Leeds/Bradford UCCE player in one-day cricket and his stand of 184 with Josh de Caires for the second-wicket is a new club best for any wicket in the format.

Jack, who was born in Boston, Lincolnshire, and is in his fourth year at university studying for a Masters in Management & Finance, had a fine season with the bat scoring 341 runs at an average of 89 in the BUCS 50-over games and 195 runs (avge. 39) in the T20 matches.

The 22-year-old, who is the third Leeds/Bradford player of the last four University Award winners, has played one Second XI game for Worcestershire against Scotland and has high hopes of furthering his career with the county.

Jackpot: Walter Lawrence University Award winner, Jack Timby, receives a special medallion and a cheque for £500 from Andrew Strauss.
Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

Sheridon Gumbs of Bradfield College is the winner of this year’s Walter Lawrence Schools Award, for the highest score against MCC, with his innings of 154 not out on June 11 at The Pit. Chasing an MCC total of 238 -6 declared, Sheridon, opening the innings, saw his team home to an 8-wicket victory with a dazzling knock featuring 17 fours and 4 sixes in 129 balls.

The innings was Sheridon’s fourth century for the XI and comfortably the most dominant. As captain of the XI in the LVIth, the 17-year-old coped well with the most difficult role in schoolboy sport: understanding that he had to manage boys like himself with professional aspirations as well as those simply playing for fun. Sheridon has been playing for Surrey age-group sides for three years, having moved across from Bucks, and this summer made his debut for their 2nd XI as well as representing London and the East in the Super 4s.

Young blade: Sheridon Gumbs, winner of the Walter Lawrence Schools Award, receives a special medallion and Gray-Nicolls bat, flanked by Richard Gray and Andrew Strauss.
Photograph by Rupert Hartley: www.ruperthartley.co.uk

Concluding the evening’s proceedings was a lively and informative talk between Matthew Fleming and Andrew Strauss, sprinkled with banter and fascinating insight. The former England and Middlesex batsman and ECB Director of Cricket shared memories of captaincy including the challenges of Phil Tufnell’s attitude to physical fitness, his ups and downs with Kevin Pietersen, and sledging duels with Shane Warne. Finally, he spoke passionately about the Ruth Strauss Foundation, a charity set up in his late wife’s honour, which supports families facing the death of a parent and campaigns for more research into non-smoking lung cancers. A heartfelt, standing ovation followed.

The quartet of Walter Lawrence Trophy awards, supported by Veuve Clicquot, encompass four distinct areas of the game: the Walter Lawrence Trophy, for the fastest century of the season; the Universities award for the highest score by a player from the six University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) against the first-class counties or in the UCCE Championship; The Walter Lawrence Women’s Award for the player who makes the highest individual score in a season from the ECB domestic cup games and all England Women’s matches played on home soil, and, finally, the Walter Lawrence Schools Award for the highest score by a school ‘batter’ against MCC.