Domestic cricket journalism awards for Story and Witney

Melissa Story and Katya Witney were the winners of the two individual awards at the ECB Domestic Cricket Journalism Awards in association with the Cricket Writers' Club at the Kia Oval today.

The Story won the coveted Christopher Martin-Jenkins Broadcaster of the Year, with the CWC judging panel describing the BBC Test Match Special commentator as "a superb young broadcaster with a big future".

Wisden journalist Witney, a graduate of the ECB's Hundred Rising Reporter programme, was named Christopher Martin-Jenkins Young Journalist of the Year for her "rounded, thoughtful and lucid portfolio".

Witney is the second consecutive Wisden journalist to win the award, following Taha Hashim last year, while her colleague Ben Gardner was highly commended.

Isabelle Westbury is the only previous winner in the 13-year history of the awards, and this is the first time a female journalist has won both individual awards in the same year.

The Liverpool Echo won both the Regional Newspaper of the Year and Outstanding Newspaper Coverage of Domestic Cricket awards for the second year running, with cricket writer Tom Evans again winning the accolade.

The Cricketer Online has won the award for Outstanding Online Coverage for a record sixth consecutive year, marking the long-term success of outgoing online editor Sam Morshead.

The awards, which included the presentation of the 2023 County Championship pennant to Surrey captain Rory Burns, were presented at the official launch of the new domestic season.

Representatives from each of last season's domestic trophy winning women's, disability and men's teams were on hand to present the Domestic Journalism Awards.

ECB CEO Richard Gould and ECB Chairman Richard Thompson were also in attendance, along with Cricket Writers' Club Chairman Dean Wilson.

2023 ECB Domestic Cricket Journalism Award winners:

CMJ Young Journalist of the Year: Katya Witney; Highly commended: Ben Gardner

CMJ Broadcaster of the Year: Melissa Story; Highly commended: Dan Whiting and Ben Watts

Regional Newspaper of the Year: Liverpool Echo; Highly commended: Stoke Sentinel.

Outstanding Newspaper Coverage of Domestic Cricket: Liverpool Echo

Outstanding Online Coverage of Domestic Cricket: The Cricketer Online