YOUR County Gazette has been recognised not once, but twice, at the 2019 Domestic Cricket Journalism Awards.

The Gazette was judged as runner-up in the Regional Newspaper of the Year award, while reporter Paul Martin was runner-up in the Young Domestic Cricket Journalist of the Year category.

The judging panel - Alison Mitchell, Melinda Farrell, David Gower, Bruce Talbot, Jonathan Liew, David Lloyd, Vic Marks, Eleanor Oldroyd and Derek Pringle - praised the newspaper for its coverage of cricket in Somerset during the 2019 season, which saw the county claim the One-Day Cup and come so close to a maiden County Championship title.

Commenting on the joint runners-up - the Gazette and Staffordshire-based The Sentinel - the judges said: “The Sentinel and the Somerset County Gazette had plenty of good material to work with last summer and in both cases they responded with imagination and skill to produce some excellent cricket spreads.”

On Paul Martin, they commented: “Our runner-up told an important story about the women’s county game that would otherwise have had no airing, as well as enjoyable pieces linked to both the present and the past.”

AWARD WINNERS

Christopher Martin-Jenkins Young Cricket Journalist of the Year

Winner: Charlie Taylor (BBC Somerset)

Runner Up: Paul Martin (Somerset County Gazette)

Christopher Martin-Jenkins Domestic Cricket Broadcaster of the Year

Winner: Charlie Taylor (BBC Radio Somerset)

Runner-up: Richard Rae (BBC Radio Leicestershire)

Regional Newspaper of the Year

Winner: Yorkshire Post

Runner-up: Somerset County Gazette & The Sentinel

Outstanding Newspaper Coverage of Domestic Cricket

Winner: The Daily Telegraph

Outstanding Online Coverage of Domestic Cricket

Winner: The Cricketer.com