LANCASHIRE wicketkeeper Gareth Cross was anything but safe hands when he dropped the club’s Champagne Moment award and it smashed. Cross’s accolade turned into Gaffe of the Year as the trusty keeper let the trophy slip from his grasp – and it promptly shattered into pieces.
The 26-year-old had clinched the award following the six he struck off the penultimate ball to win the Twenty20 game against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.
The audience at the club’s end-of-year awards ceremony was left stumped as the keeper’s fumble overshadowed the evening.
Lancashire skipper Glen Chapple received the Player-of-the-Year award with more dignity, informing a delighted crowd that he will continue in the role next season.
The 36-year-old scooped the top honour of the evening as well as the Championship Player-of-the-Year prize after he finished top wicket-taker with 52 victims in the competition.
Wednesday night’s trophy haul rounded off a memorable year for Chapple, who passed 700 career first-class wickets as well as notching 403 Championship runs before a calf injury forced him to miss the final two matches of the campaign.
Simon Kerrigan ended an impressive debut season by winning the Young Player-of-the-Year award. The 21-year-old spinner marked his debut by taking seven wickets against Warwickshire and ended the campaign with 30 wickets.
And Tom Smith was named One-Day Player-of-the-Year having finished leading run-scorer in the north group of the Friends Provident t20 with 508 runs as well as taking 13 wickets.