JOHN and MYRA RECEIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Date: 8th September 2016

Fully deserved after years of voluntary service to cricket.

Lancashire Schools Cricket Association (LSCA) veterans John and Myra Isterling have won the ‘Lifetime Achiever’ category for the Lancashire Cricket Board Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards to recognise their significant contribution to recreational cricket. The OSCA is intended to go to individuals who have made an outstanding difference to their cricket club, league, board or local cricket community over a significant number of years. As John and Myra have both had exceptional long service to Lancashire cricket with the LSCA and the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition, the LCB felt it was appropriate to award them the joint honour.

John and Myra each have over 40 years of experience in cricket. Myra started scoring for a local Northamptonshire village club in 1974, also taking on the role of Treasurer, with John as Secretary. Their input was instrumental in helping re-start the village cricket club and community, which had lost its ground to the war effort during the 1940s. Myra also managed its Under 14s team, taking them to success in the local youth competition.

The Isterlings continued to be heavily involved in local cricket when they moved to Northop Hall, as their long-term relationship with Lancashire cricket developed as umpire and scorer in the Liverpool Competition and the Lancashire County Age Group programmes with the LSCA.

Myra scores regularly for Northop CC, Cheshire Over 60s and in the past Neston and Irby, She was the first woman to become a member of the Merseyside Branch of the Association of Cricket Umpires and Scorers.

John umpired in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition, from 1994 until 2011, after which he joined the league committee.

Myra started scoring for the Lancashire Schools Cricket Association and the county age group squads in 1995, alongside John as umpire. Myra continues today to score for the county boys Under 13s and Under 15s and has been doing so now for 26 years.

They have both been instrumental in the training of and appointment of other LSCA scorers, and for their work with the LSCA and dedication to cricket, they have both been approached to become Vice Presidents of the Association.

John and Myra spoke of their award:

“We were both amazed to be selected for this award. We were just trying to do our best for the young players we served. You don’t start this type of work for the accolades, but we are so delighted to have been invited to Lord’s to represent Lancashire at the National OSCAs.”

Myra then joked: “I only started scoring matches to avoid having to make the teas! In all honesty, it has been a privilege to be involved with county age group cricket, and also mentor up and coming scorers.”

Bobby Denning, LCB’s Managing Director, added: “John and Myra are an amazing couple that give so much of their time and energy to local cricket and we at the LCB are delighted to recognise such generous and selfless work they do for the game. Their long-term dedication and ongoing support to Lancashire cricket is gratefully received and I on behalf of everyone at the LCB thank them for all their efforts.”

John Williams, L&DCC Chairman said " I am delighted, on behalf of the Liverpool Competition, to congratulate John and Myra. They have worked tirelessly for the good of cricket in many areas of the game and thoroughly deserve this recognition."

The ECB National OSCAs awards will be held on 4th October 2016 at Lord’s Cricket Ground.