ALL-ROUNDER Liam O’Driscoll has capped a fine season with bat and ball by being named Worcester News player-of-the-year.

O’Driscoll played a starring role for Worcester Nomads in helping them win the Worcestershire League Division One championship and promotion to the Birmingham League for the first time.

The 25-year-old University of Birmingham medical student averaged 60.09 with the bat, including three centuries and a top score of 129, and took 46 wickets at 14.28.

O’Driscoll, who was quick to praise the impact of his team-mates throughout the campaign, wins a £300 hand-made bat from sponsors the Fearnley Factory Shop.

He said: “I’ve done well this season due to more batting practice and help from Jon Inglis who taught me how to play a few attacking shots.

“There have been a few other bowlers who have had really good seasons too. Chris Elsden, who opened with me, and Steve Bowman have also been influential.

“The team spirit has been very good this year and we have a young line-up.”

Bransford-based Nomads topped the table seven points ahead of Pershore, with Astwood Bank in third place.

They will now compete in Birmingham League Division Three in 2013 alongside teams from Shropshire, Staffordshire and Warwickshire. O’Driscoll, who scored 661 runs in 14 innings, added: “Most teams that get promoted do well. However, in the Worcestershire League you know all the opposition by name and I will miss that.”

The all-rounder registered consistent performances, ranking third in the Division One averages behind former Sri Lankan Test star Dinusha Fernando, who played for Bromyard, and Astwood Bank’s Steve Adshead, once of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.

O’Driscoll, a former Royal Grammar School, Worcester, pupil, was also second in the bowling statistics, recording 50 maidens in total, and sixth across all Worcestershire divisions. In addition, two notable performances during the season earned him the Worcester News player-of-the week award.

He recorded top figures of 8-32 off 14 overs in the Divison One clash against Worcester in June en route to a nine-wicket victory.

Then, in August, O’Driscoll played a starring role in Nomads’ demolition of Bromyard, tearing through the hosts’ batting line-up with 6-29 before hitting 129 off 86 balls to lead his side to a 215-run thrashing.