Horsford batsman Matthew Wilkinson has won the Dipple & Conway Opticians Norfolk Alliance player of the month award for July.

The former Norfolk young player of the year captains Horsford's A team in Division One of the Alliance and beat off competition from two Premier Division players, Addam Todd of Downham Town and Tom Brice of Lowestoft Town, to win the award.

Wilkinson, a director of his family's Reepham-based building company, began July with 60 against Garboldisham and followed up with an unbeaten 134 against Great Melton and 55 against Beccles, before signing off the month with 112 against Stow.

'I can't remember ever having a better run of form than that,' said Wilkinson, who was rewarded with £150-worth of sunglasses by Dipple & Conway Opticians.

Wilkinson has spent more than two decades at Horsford, representing the club at under-13 and under-15 level, with whom he reached the national semi-finals.

After turning 15, Wilkinson progressed through the club's third and second teams to the first team, with whom he won Carter Cup, Biss Cup and Norfolk Twenty20 honours.

He also represented Norfolk in the Minor Counties Championship for a number of years and was part of the county team which was victorious in the one-day national competition in 2005. This season, family commitments and the desire to pass on the wisdom and experience of his amateur career led Wilkinson to step down to the second XI.

One of the runners-up, Downham's Todd, recorded a hat-trick of four-wicket hauls (4-15, 4-36 and 4-46) while also making a 68-run contribution with the bat.

Lowestoft's Brice also excelled with both bat and ball in July, hitting 53 and 54 and taking 4-58.