Marlon Samuels and Stafanie Taylor were named 2011 Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) Male and Female Cricketers of the Year at the body’s annual awards dinner held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Saturday.

Both players were unable to attend the function.

Samuels, who is currently in Bangladesh playing in that country’s premier league, scored close to 1,000 runs in the first-class season and top-scored for Jamaica in the T20 competition.

Taylor, who is on West Indies women’s cricket duties, also won the International Cricket Council’s Female Player of the Year award, and though they were not around to collect their prizes, JCA president Lindel Wright was pleased with both choices.

“I think that the choice was good and I hope that they will continue to lift their game and remember that they not only represent themselves, but they represent the good of Jamaica and the good of the region as well,” Wright said.

Jamaica senior team coach, Junior Bennett, was also happy with the selection of Samuels. “Marlon had an excellent year last year,” he said.

Long-time sponsor of local cricket, Grace Kennedy Financial Group, were presented with the President’s Award for their support of the game.

GraceKennedy, through its various arms, also sponsors schoolboy limited overs and league competitions.

Meanwhile, Women’s cricket team coach Cleon Smith was named the Coach of the Year; Nkrumah Bonner young West Indies Player of the Year; Roy Dacosta Groundsman of the Year, and Dexter Agustus Scorer of the Year.

National player David Bernard Junior won the Laurie Williams trophy for the Most Disciplined Senior Player.

Other special awards went to John Ross Campbell, who claimed the George Headley award for Excellence in Youth Cricket; Vere Technical’s Fabian Allen secured the Allan Rae Award for being the best example on an off the field in Under-19 cricket, while the Collie Smith trophy for leadership on and off the field went to Manchester’s Gary Graham.

Natasha McLean picked up the Vivalyn Latty Scott award for Most Improved Female and Dewitt Coleman the Gleaner Independence trophy for umpiring duties.

For local competitions throughout the season in the Jam T20 Kingston’s Chadwick Walton earned a prize for his six consecutive sixes in a match, St Catherine CC’s Odean Brown for claiming a hat-trick against St Elizabeth and Manchester’s Donovan Sinclair, who claimed six for four against GC Foster.

In the Senior Cup competition, St Ann’s Xavier Marshall claimed the award for most runs (412), Jamie Merchant of Manchester for most wickets (31) and most five-wicket hauls (3) which was shared with Nikita Miller of Melbourne and Trelawny’s Kemar Allen, who also had three five-wicket hauls.

Allen also had best bowling figures of 8/44 against St James. Marshall, Richard Allen, and Joseph Palmer had most centuries with two each. Orane Williams with 161, was the top individual scorer, while Shane Powell of St Elizabeth had most dismissals.

Damion Bryce of Manchester was the top fielder with ten catches, while his team was the Senior Cup champions.

Kingston Cricket Association and Westmoreland shared the award for Master’s (over 40) cricket. Jamaica Defence Force claimed the all island limited overs trophy