By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Robert Samuels (right) accepts the West Indies Young Cricketer of the Year award for his brother Marlon from president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Jackie Hendriks at the JCA presentation ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel on Tuesday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
WEST INDIES Test players Christopher Gayle and Marlon Samuels were the top awardees at Tuesday night's Jamaica Cricket Association's (JCA) 2002 award presentation ceremony held at the Hilton Hotel.
Gayle, who has scored 3,069 (first-class, one-day international and Test) runs to date in 2002 walked away with the Cricketer of the Year Award, while Samuels, the younger brother of Jamaica's Busta Cup captain Robert, won the young West Indies Cricketer of the Year Award.
However, St. James' Nicarlo McFarlance was the toast of the night's awardees, the 19-year-old player took four of the Cornwall prizes for most runs (393), wickets (38), most five-wicket hauls (five) and top all-rounder.
The Collie Smith Trophy for leadership on and off the field went to Melbourne's skipper Robert Samuels; Xavier Marshall took the George Headley Trophy for excellence in youth cricket and David Bernard Jnr walked away with the most disciplined player in the Surrey Senior Cup.
The Laurie Williams Trophy for the most disciplined Jamaica senior team player went to Mario Ventura; Shawn Findlay was awarded the E.A. Rae cash award for the national youth player setting the best example on and off the field in the opinion of his colleagues.
Scholarships were also presented to two of Jamaica's most talented young players, Brenton Parchment and Bernard Jnr, both attend the University of Technology (UTech).
Other awardees were Clarendon's Krishmar Santokie, Paul Brown, Xavier Marshall, Wayne Cuff, Lascelles Davis, Ricardo Powell, Canute Ferguson, Sherman Gordon, Mel Wint, who took the Jackie Hendriks trophy for his 22 dismissals, Westmoreland's Gavin Spence and Brian Murphy.
Meanwhile, The Gleaner Independence trophy for the umpire making the most outstanding contribution to cricket in the season went to Maurice Chung. The President's Award went to former West Indies cricket Maurice Foster.
Competition winners: JDF (National Championship and Surrey Senior Cup), Westmoreland (Cornwall Senior Cup), St. Catherine CA (Middlesex Senior Cup), St. Catherine CC (one-day title), Middlesex South (Under-15 title), Kingston (Junior and Minor cups), St. James (Masters), New Hope (Jamaica National Building Society High School title), Enfield (JNBS Primary School title).
