LV= Insurance Pride of Cricket Awards 2023: Vote for your Media Hero

The Pride of Cricket Awards judging panel has whittled the entry list down to a shortlist of three. Read their nominations and vote for your favourite…

Entries have been received for the LV= Media Hero award for 2023.

The Pride of Cricket Awards judging panel has whittled the entry list down to a shortlist of three names.

Voting is open until Monday, July 31, 2023 at 4pm.

THE SHORTLIST

Tom Jones, Cricket Coach 365

Ian Livingstone, Winshill CC & Stumps, Umps and Beer Pumps

Dante O'Reilly/The Cricket Draft

VOTE FOR YOUR MEDIA HERO: CLICK HERE

Tom Jones, Cricket Coach 365

During the pandemic, Tom started to branch out into the world of digital media to help people to continue to engage with the game he loves so much.

He started online webinars with people from his cricket network, which soon morphed into a podcast focusing on women and girls' cricket.

This ran for over a year and 100 episodes and provided a platform for many individuals to share their stories of and passion for the game.

He has turned his attention more recently to starting a second podcast called Tom Talks Junior Cricket Coaching, which showcases the great work so many people do in grassroots clubs all over the UK and abroad to encourage youngsters to get involved and stay in the game.

In addition to the podcasts, Tom has been asked by clubs to give talks to junior cricketers about the importance of taking the right mindset onto the field and to parents about how to support your cricketing child better.

Ian Livingstone, Winshill CC & Stumps, Umps and Beer Pumps

Ian has been instrumental in the development of Winshill's social media presence.

His dedication, creativity, and passion for the sport have elevated the club's position in the digital space, with regular updates for players and members and broad coverage of the club's latest news.  

His teammate Richard Mercer said: "It is regularly mentioned around our own league and county as being a 'best in class' club to watch when it comes to our social media."

But that's not all.

Ian is also one of the founders and host of 'The Club Cricket Pod - Stumps, Umps & Beer Pumps'.

The podcast provides a platform for club cricket enthusiasts to stay informed, entertained, and connected with the wider club cricket community.

With insightful interviews with players, coaches, administrators and volunteers from around the club cricket world, to the funnier moments from club scene, the podcast continues to grow month by month.

"His commitment to showcasing the incredible world of club cricket and sharing the stories of those involved is truly commendable," Mercer said.

Dante O'Reilly/The Cricket Draft

The Cricket Draft has captured the imagination of thousands of fans of the English game over the past two seasons.

The game, which follows the much loved fantasy sports format, offers options for red and white-ball cricket at domestic and international level.

Its co-founder and driving force, Dante O'Reilly, was nominated several times for this award, such as the impact of The Cricket Draft team's product been.

Among the comments endorsing him for the LV= Media Hero prize were:

"The Cricket Draft team deserves as much recognition as it can get for how it's bringing fans together through a fun, interesting, intuitive and highly accessible digital platform."

"Dante and The Cricket Draft have built an amazing fan community and a genuinely great user experience to bring the world of fantasy sports to cricket."

"The Cricket Draft encourages my interaction with all first-class cricket, takes me to players and matches I don't always follow but also weaves my friends, fellow cricketers and enthusiasts into a shared enterprise."