Delight for Lilley

HUGE PROGRESS: Arron Lilley has made great strides recently.

CRICKET: DELPH’S Lancashire star all-rounder Arron Lilley is to receive the Drakes Huddersfield League’s prestigious Alec Lodge Memorial Award.

The award is only occasionally presented, to a current or recent junior of the league who has made outstanding progress in any sport. It hasn’t been awarded to anyone since 2001, when former England star Ryan Sidebottom won it while he was still playing for Holmfirth and Meltham.

The award will be presented at the Huddersfield League’s annual dinner on November 13. All-rounder Lilley (24) was installed as Delph’s new captain at the start of the 2015 season, replacing previous incumbent Grant Jones.

But his Huddersfield League appearances turned out to be sporadic this year because the former Mossley Hollins Secondary School pupil enjoyed a real breakthrough season with Lancashire.

Having initially signed a county professional contract in 2012 before then making his first class debut the following year against Glamorgan, Lilley made a big impact this year.

He returned a batting average of 38.33, having featured in seven LV=County Championship fixtures, while he also did well with the ball, taking career-best figures of five for 23 during an innings victory against Derbyshire in May.

Lilley also played a pivotal role in Lancashire’s glorious T20 Blast success, where he took some

amazing catches and scored 22 not out in the Edgbaston final victory against Northamptonshire at the end of August.

Back at Delph, Lilley rattled up a breath-taking knock of 157 in a Heavy Woollen Cup tie, while in the Drakes Huddersfield League Premiership, he helped his side to a fourth-place finish. In 12 innings in the league campaign, Lilley took 17 wickets and scored 391 runs at an average of 35.55.