Josh Little has plenty to look forward to 2023 but he has been honoured for his performances in 2022 when he was named Ireland Men’s International  Player of the Year.

The first current Ireland player to be bought by an Indian Premier League side, Little, who was also  was Ireland’s leading wicket-taker last year with 47, his final three a hat-trick against New Zealand at the T20 World Cup in Adelaide. He was also selected for the ICC T20 Team of the Year.

Little’s IPL contract means he will miss making his Test match debut next month against Bangladesh and he was also ruled out of the ongoing Pakistan Premier League by a hamstring strain but Ireland hope that, following a period of rehab back home, the 23-year-old Dubliner will be fit to play in the three one-day internationals against Bangladesh, starting on March 18.

The players of the year are selected one a 1-2-3 points system, game by game, throughout the season with captain Andrew Balbirnie, leading run scorer Harry Tector and George Dockrell completing the top four.

The Women’s International Player of Year is Arlene Kelly, after a superb debut season when she took 32 wickets at 21 each, just pipping Gaby Lewis who scored 812 runs. Lewis was also leading run-scorer and named Player of the Year in the Super Series.

North West Warriors captain Andy McBrine and team-mate Graham Hume were both nominated in the Inter-Provincial of the Year category but that award went to Leinster Lightning skipper Dockrell.

The North West did pick up two awards, however. Simon Galloway, who, at times, almost single-handedly has kept the famous Sion Mills club afloat, won the Volunteering Excellence Award and the Eglinton grounstaff won the Groundskeeping Team of the Year, following a difficult year weather-wise but still hosted inter-orovincial matches, training sessions for the Australia, Pakistan and Ireland Women’s teams and the two-day Senior Cup final.

Muckamore captain Amy Caulfield won the Women’s Club Player of the Year, beating Ireland international Leah Paul and Bready’s Alana Dalzell with David Delany, who continues to be overlooked for international selection taking the Men’s Club Player award. CIYMS’ newest international Ross Adair and Newbuildings Premiership winning captain Jared Wilson were also nominated.

The other NCU winner was Instonians all-rounder Cade Carmichael who made his debut for Northern Knights, won the Emerging Men’s Talent Award for his performances with the Ireland Academy and Ireland Development Squad while Gareth Thompson was recognised as Coach of the Year for his work with the all-conquering CSN Women’s side.

Other awards: Outstanding Contribution and Service to Irish Cricket: Paul Reynolds; Outstanding Contribution to Coaching: Brian Kelleher; Club of the Year: Cork Harlequins; Emerging Women’s Talent: Jane Maguire; Club Official of the year: Declan Earley; Cricket Writers of Ireland Hall of Fame inductees: Andre Botha, Stella Owens, Bob Lambert.