Oli (left) and Ben McGee (right) with the Frank Jermy trophy

Two local brothers playing for Jesmond’s Newcastle Cricket Club have made history by picking up the same sporting award in consecutive years.

Australian cricketing legend Jason “Dizzy” Gillespie was on hand to present the under 17s Northumberland Player of the Year award to 17-year-old Ben McGee on October 30th, who lifted the trophy just one year after it was won by his older brother Oli, 18.

The brothers both play for Newcastle Cricket Club’s First XI, and Ben said that a healthy dose of brotherly competitiveness played its part in motivating him on the pitch. This is despite the two playing very different roles within the team; Ben is a batsman and Oli a bowler.

Ben with his trophy and the bat that won him it

According to those who awarded him the prize last week, over the past season Ben put in a number of outstanding performances with the bat, and as a result finished as the top run scorer for the county under 17s with 392 runs, including a century.

This form has not gone unnoticed, with his efforts leading to his selection for the Northumberland Development squad. He says he wants to break into the Northumberland First XI next year, where his older brother has already established himself.

The brothers’ triumphs come as part of a wider success story within Newcastle Cricket Club. The Club’s first XI finished third in the North East Premier League last year, a result Oli puts down to “a good set of players”.

“Everyone’s young, everyone just wants to do well, they’re all driven,” he said. Indeed, the brothers weren’t the only players from Newcastle to pick up awards, with Newcastle Cricket Club First XI captain Jacques Du Toit sharing the award for North East Premier League Player of the Season with Simon Birtwisle of Chester-le-Street.

Despite their commitments with Northumberland the McGee brothers are determined to continue playing for Newcastle Cricket Club, and say that – given the chance – they want to go on to play professionally.