Mark Adair and Orla Prendergast take Player of the Year accolades at Irish Cricket Awards

Mark Adair and Orla Prendergast were the big winners at the 13th Business Plus Irish Cricket Awards held today in Dublin, as they were respectively named Men’s and Women’s International Player of the Year for 2024.

Adair, 28, had an outstanding year, playing all three formats and showing a remarkably consistent run of form over recent years, which included being named in the ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year in 2023. See player profile.

His performance highlights in 2024 include:

Test cricket: 2 matches
Bowling: 10 wickets at 15.50, with best bowling of 5-39
Batting: 39 runs at 19.50, with highest score 24*.
ODI cricket: 5 matches
Bowling: 9 wickets at 34.77, with best bowling of 4-50
Batting: 45 runs at 9.00, with highest score 21.
T20I cricket: 14 matches
Bowling: 25 wickets at 17.04, with best bowling of 4-31
Batting: 157 runs at 15.70, with highest score 49.

Prendergast, 22, has won this Award for the second straight year. In 2024, Orla not only starred with bat and ball, but also stood-in briefly at Ireland captain for the first time. See player profile.

Her performance highlights in 2024 include:

ODI cricket: 12 matches
Bowling: 9 wickets at 23.00, with best bowling of 3-25
Batting: 360 runs at 35.42, with highest score 122*
T20I cricket: 18 matches
Bowling: 21 wickets at 12.90, with best bowling of 4-22
Batting: 544 runs at 36.26, with highest score 80.

Each winner received an engraved award designed to the iconic Irish brand, Waterford Crystal – an organisation that is proudly extending its generational links with cricket.

Full Award winners list

• Business Plus Club of the Year: Pembroke Cricket Club
• Butlers Club Player of the Year – Men: Scott Macbeth (Brigade CC)
• Butlers Club Player of the Year – Women: Lara Maritz (Holywood CC / Balbriggan CC)
• Failte Solar Emerging Talent Award – Men: Scott Macbeth (Brigade CC)
• Macron Emerging Talent Award – Women: Christina Coulter Reilly (Clontarf CC)
• Club Cricket Official of the Year – in honour of Paul Reynolds: Alan Neill
• ITW Groundskeeping Team of the Year: Stormont Groundskeeping Team
• Lord’s Taverners Ireland Volunteer of the Year: Sarfraz Ramay
• Certa Smash It/It’s Wicket! Activator of the Year: Stuart Conroy
• KB SportsHub Coach of the Year: Mark Olphert
• Cricket Ireland President’s Spotlight Award: Abi Pollock
• Evoke Super Series Player of the Year: Orla Prendergast
• Dream11 Inter-Provincial Series Player of the Year: Ruhan Pretorius
• Gibney’s Outstanding Contribution and Service to Irish Cricket – in honour of John Wright: Lawrence Moore
• Certa Women’s International Player of the Year: Orla Prendergast
• Failte Solar Men’s International Player of the Year: Mark Adair