THE cricketers of the Reading Midweek League turned out in high numbers to celebrate another successful season at their annual awards presentation evening on Friday.

West Reading collected their Division One title having overhauled second-placed Friends XI, who had set the early pace only to be caught and overtaken in the final weeks of the season.

Zafar Ali’s side completed the double by winning the Keith Mitchell Memorial Cup, edging out Purley on Thames by nine runs.

The Division Two crown was claimed by Microsoft who were clear winners from Mortimer in second position.

AMEC Foster Wheeler were just pipped by league stalwarts Cardkey who claimed Division Three honours, a feat they last achieved in 1999.

Racal PSR's Dan Hayden and Friends XI batsman Gary Lines won the award for most man-of-the-match nominations in Division One.

The league recognised and made individual awards to six batsmen who scored centuries and to six bowlers taking five wickets or more, within the limit of four overs.

The stand-out performance with the bat was Rehan Akram, who made two centuries for West Reading – 127 versus Friends XI and 109 not out against Hutchison 3.

The top bowler was AMEC Foster Wheeler’s Ben Cowdry, who took 5-5 against Syngenta.

The presentation evening was again combined with a sports and general knowledge quiz.

Racal PSR were crowned Quiz Cup champions with 43 points, narrowly beating West Reading and AMEC Foster Wheeler, who finished closely behind in second and third place respectively.

The evening was memorable for Paul Allen of Cardkey, who took the top raffle prize of a Kookaburra bat.

League treasurer Jeff Wayling was delighted with the event and concluded by offering an open invitation to players of all ages and abilities in the Reading area to join the RMCL for the 2018 season.

Interested parties can contact him on 01189 701708 or via email at jtway49@gmail.com

Most man-of -the match nominations

Division One: Gary Lines (Friends XI) and Dan Hayden (Racal PSR)

Division Two: Sameer Mishra (Reading Dynamites)

Division Three: Dave Drury (Cardkey)

Five-wicket hauls

Division One: Usman Tariq (West Reading) 5-25 v Reading Asians

Kirk Graham (Friends XI) 5-15 v Hutchison 3

Josh Perkins (Racal PSR) 5-20 v Hutchison 3

Division Two: Ian Bliss (Mortimer) 5-19 v Microsoft

Sameer Mishra (Reading Dynamites) 6-32 v Verizon

Division Three: Ben Cowdry (AMEC Foster Wheeler) 5-5 v Syngenta

Centurions

Division One: Rehan Akram (West Reading) 127 v Friends XI; 109no v Hutchison 3

Gary Lines (Friends XI) 108 v Racal PSR

Joe Brown (Friends XI) 136no v Hutchison 3

Will Legg (Racal PSR) 127 v Purley

Fergus Nutt 104no (Racal PSR) v Hutchison 3

Division Two: Michael Holder (Mortimer) 127no v Reading Dynamites