National award for Derek Shuttleworth

Derek Shuttleworth, who has served the league as an umpire and scorer for 48 years, was named the 2012 winner of the Lifetime Achiever Award at the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ACO) Shepherd Frindell Awards.

Shuttleworth, 83, was nominated for the award by the Yorkshire Cricket Board ACO, and was revealed as the latest recipient at the ECB ACO's recent annual meeting and national conference in London.

Shuttleworth, who was made a life member of the JCT600 Bradford League earlier this year and won the coveted Sir Leonard Hutton award for services to the league in 1998, wasn't present at the ceremony.

He was attending a family event, so the award was collected on his behalf by fellow JCT600 Bradford League umpire Philip Radcliffe, who is chairman of the Yorkshire Cricket Board and a senior official of the ECB ACO.

Radcliffe said: "Unfortunately Derek was unable to collect the award in person as he had a prior- arranged family engagement on the day.

" I was honoured and humbled to receive the award on his behalf from Sir Michael Parkinson.

The announcement at the presentation was met with tumultuous applause, the audience truly recognising Derek’s work in the umpiring and scoring field for nigh on 50 years."

He added: "I have spoken to Derek since returning from London and he is deeply honoured, touched and deeply proud to win this prestigious reward.

"I will formally present the award to Derek at the YCB ACO annual meeting and seminar on Sunday, December 2 at Copley Cricket Club."

Shuttleworth said: "It was a total surprise when I received a call from the ECB ACO chief executive Nick Cousins. As I had already arranged to go to York to a family event, I had to tell them that I would be unable to travel to London.

"It was a big thrill to hear that I got a standing ovation at the awards ceremony, even though I wasn't there."

He added: " I am now looking forward to receiving the award at the YCB ACO annual meeting, as they were the ones who nominated me."

JCT600 Bradford League president Keith Moss paid tribute to Shuttleworth, saying: "This a wonderful and well-deserved award for Derek, who has been a great servant of our league - first as an umpire and more recently as scorer for Bankfoot.

"On behalf of the league, I would like to congratulate him on receiving this honour from the ECB ACO."

The citation which was read out at the awards ceremony is a a fitting tribute to Shuttleworth's outstanding achievements.

It said: "Derek commenced umpiring in the Bradford League in 1964 when he gave up playing. He continued to umpire in the league for 45 years until his health prevented him from standing for long periods. Derek stood in over 1,000 games in the Bradford Cricket League.

"However, at the age of 80, he then became a club scorer in the league with Bankfoot and then mastered the TCS scoring system, which all scorers in the league have to use. He was still an active scorer in season 2012.

"Derek was responsible for setting up the West Yorkshire Branch of the Association of Cricket Umpires (ACU) around 1970 - a branch of which he was chairman for many, many years.

"He has been an umpire tutor for about 40 years and served ACU&S (Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers) as regional training officer for the north east region and chairman of the ACU training committee. He is also a qualified scorer-tutor.

"Derek was chairman of the Bradford Cricket League Umpires' Association for over 20 years and is now the association’s president.

"A school teacher by profession, he put all his educational skills into delivering his courses. His method of teaching was thorough and would always work at the pace of the slowest candidate.

"He would tutor anywhere in our large county and has also been known to go across to Lancashire to deliver both umpire and scorer courses.

"I cannot begin to guess the number of candidates he has tutored over the years but what I am certain is that a very high percentage will have passed their exams, and Derek’s knowledge and professionalism will have helped these recruits in being able to put into practise on the field what Derek has taught them in the classroom.

"His commitment to the game is second to none and is always willing to pass on his advice to any new umpire or scorer.

"He still regularly attends meetings and always wants the last word, especially on points of law.

"He still very much supports the work of ECB ACO and is president of the Leeds Branch of ACO.

"A true gentleman, Derek was and still is well respected by players, captains and fellow umpires and scorers.

"His commitment to cricket officiating in Yorkshire is outstanding and remarkable for nigh on 50 years."