The first of the Ulster Bank League awards covering from the start of the season up to the weekend of May 24 - and in a couple of cases including May 31 - have been presented at the Bank’s headquarters in Belfast.
The awards are for centuries, at least six wickets or a hat trick in the four sections of the NCU’s Ulster Bank League and leading the batting stakes was Lisburn’s overseas professional Gerry Strydom with no fewer than three centuries. Not far behind was North Down’s Joe Montgomery with two - including his last on May 31 against Derriaghy.
Ryan Hanna of Cooke Collegians performed the unusual feat of winning awards for batting and bowling - 7 for 21 against Dungannon and 125 against Dunmurry, a game in which his team mate Gian Botha also hit a century.
Rajev Kumar of Belfast International Sports Club had the rare distinction of picking up two bowling awards in successive weeks - 6 for 32 against Donacloney and on May 31, 6 for 26 against Millpark.
A little bit of history was made by Ken Maxwell of Clogher (pictured with Stephen Cruise of the Ulster Bank and NCU Chairman Wylie McKinty)  whose 101 against Victoria was the club’s first Ulster Bank award since it joined the Section 4 ranks last year.
Two hat tricks were performed during the period. Both were in Section 2 by Lurgan’s Niranjan Godbole against Holywood and Saintfield’s Mark McBriar against Lurgan and their specially inscribed awards will be presented at a later date.

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The award winners were:

Premier League

• May 31: Joe Montgomery (North Down) 127 not out v Derriaghy
• May 24: Gerry Strydom (Lisburn) 180 and Greg Thompson (Lisburn) 122 v Derriaghy
• May 18: Nigel Jones (Civil Service North) 104 v Carrickfergus
• May 5: Gerry Strydom (Lisburn) 116 v North Down; Derek Heasley (CIYMS) 6-23 v Cliftonville
• May 3: Yasas Tillekarante (Bangor) 6-24 v CSNI; Joe Montgomery (North Down) 117 v CIYMS
• April 26: Gerry Strydom (Lisburn) 114 not out v CIYMS.

Section 2

• May 24: Niranjan Godbole (Lurgan) - hat trick v Holywood
• May 13: Mark McBriar (Sainfield) - hat trick v Lurgan.
• May 10: Richard Owens (Saintfield) 104 v Dundrum: Marvin van Niekerk (Lurgan) 6-33 v Laurelvale. 

Section 3

• May 31: Rajev Kumar (BISC) 6-26 v Millpark.
• May 25: Colin Whyte (Dunmurry) 108 and Neil Connelly 103 (Dunmurry) v Millpark:
• May 24: Rajev Kumar (BISC) 6-32 v Donacloney: Ryan Hanna (Cooke Collegians) 7-21 v Dungannon; Darren Martin (Millpark) 6-25 v Larne
• May 17: Gian Botha (Cooke Collegians) 127 and Ryan Hanna 125 (Cooke Collegians) v Dunmurry.
  May 10: Greg Lucy (Cooke Collegians) 6-29 v Cregagh

Section 4

• May24: Neil Walsh (Drumaness) 117 v Donaghadee
• May 10: Gary Walsh (Drumaness) 150 not out v Victoria
• April 26: Ken Maxwell (Clogher) 101 v Victoria.

The next awards ceremony will be held at the Bank’s headquarters on Wednesday, July 23, and will include remaining winners from May 31 up to and including Friday, July 18.