The Bob Willis Trophy, named after the previous England quick bowler and broadcaster and sponsored by Smile Group Travel, was twice contested by the counties however is now given to England’s participant of the 12 months – male or feminine – after a vote by the CWC’s membership.
“There’s a fairly steep slope that goes down to the tee box,” he stated. “I’ve played that course many times and because we were playing early morning, whether the course had been watered or it was dew, it was slippy.
“Normally whenever you slip you fall in your bum, which might have been superb as there’s loads of cushion in there. Except this time I attempted to regain my stability, my left ankle turned proper, dislocated and my weight went by means of my left decrease leg. I heard it snap immediately.
“I took a couple of steps down then slipped. By the time I crumpled into a heap, I was three-quarters of the way down. It’s all a blur, it happened so quickly.
“I yelped. Uncontrollable screams, the type you hear on a rugby subject. The adrenaline kicked in, and I knew I wanted an ambulance. We rang the top physio at England immediately and requested the place I wanted to go and what I wanted to do. The subsequent three hours with out painkillers weren’t too enjoyable.”
The injury ruled Bairstow out of England’s T20 World Cup campaign and the Test tour of Pakistan in December. No return date has been set but he could miss the entire winter programme, which includes trips to South Africa, New Zealand and Bangladesh.
“Everything ought to heal, however it’s going to take time,” he said. “Naturally I’m desperately disillusioned. I’ve been fairly upbeat for the final month, as a result of it’s such a freakish factor that is occurred, it is troublesome to get offended about. It’s such a freakish factor that is occurred.”
None of the other CWC award-winners required crutches. Cox claimed the prestigious Young Cricketer award, first presented in 1950, following his maiden call-up for the T20I squad that toured Pakistan. Although Cox has yet to win his first cap, he is keen to push for England selection across the formats.
“I might like to play all three codecs,” Cox said. “I really feel like my sport’s very adaptable. Obviously Test cricket’s the head, so to play for England in a Test match could be the head of my profession if I do find yourself doing that.”
Kemp, who was unable to attend due to the demands of school, became the second successive teenager to win the Emerging Cricketer award – after Alice Capsey – on the back of a summer in which she made international debuts in both limited-overs formats, as well as becoming the second-youngest woman to score a half-century for England.
Among those present for the CWC lunch at the London Marriott hotel was Price, of the England Deaf Squad, and author David Woodcock, whose book “Who Only Cricket Know”, on the 1953-54 tour of the West Indies, was named Derek Hodgson Book of the Year.