Jake Libby capped a superb season with the bat by winning two awards – including the newly named Tom Graveney Player’s Player Of The Year – when Worcestershire staged their Gala Awards Evening in the Chestnut Marquee.
The opener also lifted the Supporters’ Association Player Of The Year award after a campaign in which he amassed 1,153 LV=Insurance County Championship runs – his best ever return for a season – and top-scored for Worcestershire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
He produced many memorable knocks and came close to achieve back-to-back double centuries against Sussex at Hove, hitting 197 this summer after making a career best 215 in the corresponding fixture in 20222.
Libby completed 1,000 first class runs in a season for the second time in three years, hitting four hundreds, and in the One Day Cup amassed 397 runs, hitting four fifties and skippering the side to the quarter-finals.
Tom Graveney was a legendary batter for Worcestershire, winning back to back County Championship titles in 1964 and 1965 and captaining the side from 1968 until his retirement in 1970.
Club Captain, Brett D’Oliveira, also picked up two awards for the second year running including the prestigious Dick Lygon Award.
It is presented to the person judged to have made the most significant contribution on and off the field.
D’Oliveira is often described as the heartbeat of the dressing room and driving force of the side with his ceaseless energy.
He is often the man to solve a potential crisis with the bat, as shown with his performance during the promotion clinching win over Yorkshire with a superb century.
His contributions with the ball have also been crucial, particularly in white ball cricket, and he skippered the side to promotion in the LV=Insurance County Championship and the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast this summer.
The all-rounder was also voted T20 Player Of The Year for the third year running.
D’Oliveira showed his all-round worth by finishing as third highest run scorer – behind Mitchell Santner and Adam Hose – and third best wicket-taker after Pat Brown and Usama Mir.
He scored 369 runs, with two half centuries and a strike rate of 140.83, and picked up 15 wickets with his leg spin at 18.66.
Against Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge, he achieved career best T20 figures of 4-11.
The Kenyon Award for the best individual match performance of the summer went to Kashif Ali.
He came to the crease against Derbyshire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at the Incora County Ground and proceeded to smash 88 off 36 balls with seven sixes and eight fours.
He went onto finish as the competition’s leading six hitter in the One Day Cup with 21 maximums.
The Worcestershire Cricket Society Richard Shaw Shield for the Moment Of The Season was won by pace bowler Adam Finch but for a contribution with the bat.
A Vitality Blast home game with Yorkshire looked to be tilting in favour of the Vikings when 19 runs were required off the final over from Matthew Fisher.
But a remarkable display of hitting saw Finch hit three sixes to see Worcestershire over the finishing line with a ball to spare.
Gareth Roderick was chosen as the Fan’s Forum Fielder Of The Year after keeping wicket impressively throughout the summer in the LV=Insurance County Championship.
The number of major errors he made could be counted on one hand and he showed his gritty character when continuing to play to a high level even if not 100 per cent fit.
Promising pace bowler Harry Darley was named the Damian D’Oliveira Academy Player Of The Year (collected by Olly Cox).
He broke into the Seconds and tasted his first senior action for Worcestershire with figures of 3-17 against Shropshire at Shrewsbury in a 50 over game.
Darley had more success against New Zealand at New Road with 2-20 in a T20 fixture.
He continued to impress for the Academy when called upon and played a lead role in them retaining the ECB Under-18 County Championship Group Two title.
Award Winners 2023 – Full List
Jake Libby – Tom Graveney Player’s Player Of The Year
Jake Libby – Supporters’ Association Player Of The Year
Brett D’Oliveira – Dick Lygon Award
Brett D’Oliveira – T20 Player Of The Year
Kashif Ali – Kenyon Award
Adam Finch – Cricket Society Richard Shaw Shield
Gareth Roderick – Fan’s Forum Fielder Of The Year
Harry Darley – Damian D’Oliveira Academy Player Of The Year
Clare Boycott – Worcestershire Women’s Rapids Player Of The Year Award
Phoebe Brett – Women’s Rapids Young Player Of The Year
Paul Pridgeon – David Exall Award
