Award winners 2026
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In a year when our young players truly came into their own, Sam Behn came away as the biggest winner from a hugely enjoyable awards night in the pavilion on Saturday. The teenage all-rounder picked up not just the Alan Ward Man of the Match Tankard for his 78 and 5-32 against Oakley in the National Village Cup, and the Francis Hayes Cup for the bowler of the season, but also the Alan Hall Cup for the overall 1st XI player of the year. Quite an achievement for someone who only turned 17 half way through the summer.
Others who picked up more than one trophy included Will Nash (best match bowling figures of the year and jointly 3rd XI player of the year along with Elliot Lewis) and Flynn Bongiorno, who aside from picking up the Seymours Cup for the T20 player of the year, also shared the Chairman’s Cup with Freddie Alexander, with both scoring more than 800 runs over the season. Flynn and Freddie also shared the John Smith’s tankard with Freddie and Tom Harris, it being awarded to all 4 of them jointly after they all (astonishingly) scored exactly 105 not out in Cricket Week.
James Fortescue won both the Roy Lonsdale Trophy (awarded this year to the player of the year in the National Village Cup) and the Nash Cup, for his superb wicket-keeping both in the league and in our cup run, whilst Oscar Gilliam was the inaugural winner of the Goatacre Ball (“the ball which took us to Lord’s”), for the outstanding impact he made over the season. Tom Wilson picked up the Cope Cup for his 164 not out against Shalford, Taz Rohan won the Robinson Cup for 2nd XI player of the year, and two U16s (Idris Iqbal and Freddie Park) respectively won the John Macdonald and Harrison Cups.
As for the Women’s awards, Joy Lisney won the Billie Hockley Cup for player of the year (from which Lily Lyndon was excluded from consideration) and Abby Gamboll won the Eyers Cup for most improved player. Lily Lyndon did however win the Stefanik Trophy for making an outstanding contribution to Women’s Cricket (as indeed she did in several other ways as well).
The President’s Cup was awarded to Danny Harrison, whose astonishing efforts across all areas of the club (including with juniors, seniors, work on the ground and social media, amongst other things) kept the show on the road this summer. Special presentations were also made to Chris Poil, in recognition of his impact in his first season as Men’s 1st XI coach, and to Alex Jones in recognition of her extraordinary dedication over the past 7 years as Safeguarding Officer, as well as chief organiser of Cricket Week.
Finally, many thanks to Pete Melhuish, who donated to the club his framed match shirt and cap from the National Village Cup Final, as a gesture of thanks for arranging his transport to Lord’s from North Wales. The club in turn presented a small momento of the day to Pete, in recognition of his tremendous efforts for us over many years in that competition, which ultimately got us to the final. Inevitably, it took the form of a miniature helicopter.
The full list of awards and their winners is below.
The Longacre Cup
Awarded for | The best performance by a current Blackheath Colt Under 15 or below in an adult match. |
Winner | Freddie Harris for 105* Midweek XI v Jack Frost XI |
The Humphry Cup (WGH Trophy)
Awarded for | The best bowling performance in any single match |
Winner | Will Nash for 6 for 14 for 3rd XI v Headley |
The Cope Cup
Awarded for | The best batting performance in any single match |
Winner | Tom Wilson for 164* for 2nd XI v Shalford |
The Alan Ward Man of the Match Tankard
Awarded for | The best all-round individual performance in any single match |
Winner | Sam Behn for 78 and 5-32 v Oakley in National Village Cup |
The Seymours Cup
Awarded to | The T20/Hundred player of the year |
Winner | Flynn Bongiorno |
The Mansell Cup
Awarded to | The 3rd XI player of the year |
Joint winners | Elliot Lewis and Will Nash |
The Robinson Cup
Awarded to | The 2nd XI player of the year |
Winner | Taz Rohan |
The Alan Hall Cup
Awarded to | The 1st XI player of the year |
Winner | Sam Behn |
The Roy Lonsdale Trophy
Awarded to | The Sunday XI player of the year – this year to the outstanding performer in the National Village Cup |
Winner | James Fortescue |
The John Smith Tankard
Awarded to | Special sporting achievement |
Joint winners | Freddie Harris, Tom Harris, Flynn Bongiorno and Freddie Alexander for all scoring exactly 105* in Cricket Week |
The Harrison Cup
Awarded to | Award for the most improved player in the men’s section |
Winner | Freddie Park |
The John Macdonald Cup
Awarded to | The outstanding player of the year under 21 who has not yet won a senior club award |
Winner | Idris Iqbal |
The Nash Cup
Awarded to | Best catch of the season or outstanding catching generally |
Winner | James Fortescue |
The Chairman’s Cup
Awarded to | Batsman of the season, in all XIs |
Joint winners | Freddie Alexander and Flynn Bongiorno |
The Francis Hayes Cup
Awarded to | Bowler of the season, in all XIs |
Winner | Sam Behn |
The Goatacre Ball “The ball that took us to Lord’s”
Awarded to | A player who has made an outstanding impact during the season, although not winning an award based simply on statistics |
Winner | Oscar Gilliam |
The Billie Hockley Cup
Awarded to | Women’s player of the year |
Winner | Joy Lisney |
The Eyers Cup
Awarded to | Most improved women’s player of the year |
Winner | Abby Gamboll |
The Stefanik Trophy
Awarded to | Special contribution to women’s cricket |
Winner | Lily Lyndon |
The President’s Cup
Awarded to | A Blackheath member who has made a special contribution off the field over the course of the season |
Winner | Danny Harrison |
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