Historic awards triumph for Joshua Sackfield and Thornton Cleveleys Cricket Club

The 23-year-old all-rounder also won the Premier Division Batting Award as top run-scorer, amassing 900 at an average of 50.

Four years after winning the Junior Player of the Year accolade, Sackfield was presented with the Senior trophy by ex-Lancashire and England player Simon Kerrigan at the Ribby Hall ceremony.

Sackfield's winter spent in Australia playing for Lakes Entrance Cricket Club in Victoria clearly did him no harm as he scored a century in Thornton Cleveleys' first game of the season at their Illawalla ground, also taking 3-30.

However, any hopes of overhauling the 12-year-old Premier League batting record of 1060 runs in a season were dashed by a wet July and August.

Joshua did exceed that figure in all competitions, though, scoring three centuries (with a top score of 120 against Preston) and six half-centuries.

He took 22 wickets, with best figures of 5-19 (also against Preston), and his fielding accounted for a further 30 wickets (24 catches, six run-outs).

Cricket chairman and first-team captain Rick Jenkinson said: “Josh has been exceptional. What he’s achieved is remarkable, breaking club records at such a young age. As a club we are so proud of him.”

Josh has played at the Illawalla club since the age of five, coming through the junior set-up led by Peter Elson, and represented Lancashire at various age groups.