Gibson named ‘Player-of-the-Year’

LONDON: Former Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Ottis Gibson capped an outstanding return to the English County Cricket Championship when he was named the Leicestershire “Player-of-the-Year.” This award was just one of two for the 35-year-old all-rounder, who also picked up the Frank Smith Cup for bowling and the John Joseph’s award for the best individual performance in a First XI match.

The rugged fast bowler, who joined Leicestershire at the start of the season, received the three awards at the club’s End-of-Season Dinner that was staged on Friday evening at the County’s Grace Road headquarters.  Gibson, who played two Tests and 15 limited-overs internationals for West Indies, was a surprise signing for the Division Two side at the start of the season. He, however, spearheaded the team to a sixth-place finish in the four-day competition and also played a vital role as the Foxes captured the Twenty20 Cup. He captured 60 wickets to be second in the four-day bowling aggregates, and had only three fewer wickets than the leading wicket-taker, Pakistani Danish Kaneria of Essex.

His average of 24.08-a-wicket was enough to land him 10th in the overall English First-Class bowling averages. Gibson, also a clean, hard striker of the ball, scored 480 runs at a decent average of 30, to prove his worth with the bat. Good enough to have already have a First-Class hundred, Gibson scored four half centuries for Leicester-shire with a highest of 60 not out against Yorkshire. Earlier this month, Gibson, who has also played for Glamorgan, was named the “Player-of-the-Month” for a series of exceptional performances in August and September in both the County Championship proper and the limited-overs league fixtures.