England stars named cinch PCA Awards winners

Jonny Bairstow and Nat Sciver have won the headline accolades at the 2022 cinch PCA Awards with Harry Brook and Freya Kemp also awarded coveted prizes at The Hurlingham Club.

For the first time since 2019, the cinch PCA Awards returned in person where 550 guests including current players, former players and sponsors celebrated the 53^rd edition of the prestigious awards ceremony.

Bairstow continued the recent trend of current professionals prioritising England’s top performers in the voting, the fourth successive international to be awarded the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year trophy. Following in the footsteps of Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Joe Root, the Yorkshireman had a phenomenal season, which included four Test match hundreds.

England all-rounder Sciver also rounded off a fantastic summer by winning her second cinch PCA Women’s Player of the Year award after first receiving the trophy in 2017 due to her standout year in domestic and international cricket.

Bairstow’s Yorkshire teammate Brook becomes the first player since Sir Alastair Cook in 2005 and 2006 to successfully win the cinch PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year award in consecutive seasons.

Meanwhile, the cinch PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year award went to a 17-year-old for the second year in a row. Kemp made her domestic and international debuts, taking home the prize in her first season in the game, following on from Alice Capsey winning the inaugural award last season.

The illustrious accolades were voted for by the players’ fellow professionals, with each player having a vote for both awards in their gender category.

Bairstow epitomized the new-look attacking nature of the England Test team under the newly appointed duo of Stokes and Brendon McCullum. The Yorkshireman scored an incredible 681 runs at an average of 75.6 with an unbelievable strike-rate of 96.6, helping England win five of the six Tests he played.

The 32-year-old was pivotal in England’s record Test match run chase, scoring an unbeaten 114 against India to successfully chase 378. With four hundreds, 12 catches and standout brilliant performances throughout, he was also awarded the LV= Insurance Test Player of the Summer award. Bairstow scored 964 international runs this summer, including 147 in IT20 cricket with 90 against South Africa the stand out performance.

This year, he succeeded Yorkshire and England teammate Joe Root in winning the main award, becoming the fourth Yorkshireman to do so by beating fellow shortlisted candidates in teammate Brook, Surrey’s Will Jacks and Wayne Madsen of Derbyshire to the prize.

cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year, Bairstow, said: “It’s a privilege to win the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year and when your colleagues vote for you it’s a real honour.

“Winning six out of seven Tests was a huge achievement for everyone. After the last couple of years that we’ve had its great to be back on the winning side of it. I was really pleased with how results turned out and how the group has grown and bonded together over the summer, it’s been a pleasure to be part of and hopefully I’ll be back with the squad soon.

“There’s been a lot of memorable moments. When you win six Tests throughout the summer in the fashion that we have there are many. For instance Rooty (Joe Root) and I knocking the runs off at Edgbaston and the chase at Trent Bridge. It’s so hard to pinpoint one individual moment but as a collective I was delighted to have contributed in most of the Tests.”

Sciver has once again proved why she is one of the best all-rounders in the women’s game with another impressive year, starting with two centuries in the 50-over World Cup. In the summer Test match against South Africa the 30-year-old produced a fabulous maiden Test hundred, scoring 169 not out at Taunton.

Captaining her country for a large part of the summer, Sciver scored 188 IT20 runs striking at over 100 and scored 118 ODI runs averaging 59, whilst taking four wickets at 22.8 apiece.

Winning The Hundred PCA MVP Women’s Player of the Year award, the Rockets star scored 228 runs at an average of 76 with six wickets, averaging 22.

Sciver succeeds Eve Jones who won the 2021 accolade and beat the shortlisted players of South East Stars’ Sophia Dunkley, Thunder’s Emma Lamb and Lauren Winfield-Hill of Northern Diamonds.

cinch PCA Women’s Player of the Year, Sciver, said: “A massive thank you to everybody that voted for me to win the cinch PCA Women’s Player of the Year, I am really honoured.

“I’ve been really happy with my form this year. It’s weird to think that the World Cup was this year too. The two centuries in the World Cup were really special, and the Test match innings against South Africa was brilliant too.

“The Hundred had a great second year, the cricket and atmospheres were brilliant again, and the Rockets had a better year than last which is very pleasing. Hopefully we can improve next year too.

“As cricketers we are perfectionists and often remember the negative things that have happened so it’s hard to remember all the good things but there have been some great memories and highlights.”

The cinch PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year started the year brilliantly, with Brook making his England IT20 debut in the Caribbean before scoring 264 runs at an average of 52.8 in the PSL, including a fabulous maiden century in T20 cricket.

Starting the English summer in a similar vein, he won the PCA Men’s Player of the Month Award in May which led to him being involved in every Test squad in the season and eventually making his Test debut.

Following 967 LV= Insurance County Championship runs at an average of 107.4 and 436 runs in the Vitality Blast, striking at 164, Brook has built on his stellar 2021 and impressed in the recent IT20 series in Pakistan.

Brook takes the award following healthy competition from the other shortlisted players in Surrey’s Will Jacks and Durham’s Matthew Potts.

cinch PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year, Brook, said: “A lot of people have a good year but to be able to back it up and be consistent for a couple of seasons is really nice.

“It’s great to follow in Alastair Cook’s footsteps, he was a genius and I just hope I can continue scoring runs.

“It’s such a good feeling to get this recognition because it’s from your own teammates and opposition, which is a big achievement, so I’m honoured to have won it twice.

“Being involved in a World Cup is what dreams are made of. It’s special being able to represent England at a World Cup and hopefully I can get a few games and make some match winning contributions.”

In the women’s category, Kemp had a whirlwind first summer playing professional cricket, debuting for the Southern Vipers in May. The all-rounder’s talents catapulted her to international honours as she was awarded her IT20 debut after just seven professional appearances.

Starting the summer with an impressive nine wickets at an average of 17.7, she helped the Vipers lift the Charlotte Edwards Cup with her performances leading to her IT20 bow.

The left-hander also showed her prowess with the bat, becoming the youngest male or female England player to score a half century in an IT20 game, with an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls against India.

The bowling all-rounder won the award in a strong category which included South East Stars’ Capsey and Sunrisers’ Grace Scrivens.

cinch PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year, Kemp, said: “It’s an absolute honour to win this award. It is special to be picked by other players – it really means a lot and is something I will remember for a very long time.

“It’s been such an amazing summer, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and have learned so much. Being surrounded by lots of great players who have shared their knowledge and experience has really helped and supported me.

“I am very excited for the future. I want to try and have a long and successful career. I feel very lucky to have had so many amazing opportunities this summer that I hope will continue and I want to now build on. Travelling around the world playing cricket is also an exciting prospect and something that I would love to be able to do.”

The PCA also announced an Outstanding Contribution Award to former Gloucestershire wicketkeeper Andy Brassington for his immense impact in creating ‘Walkers & Talkers’. The initiative started in early 2022 to create a safe space for people to make friends and discuss their thoughts and feelings.

The ECB also presented their Special Merit award to the late Brenda Trenowden CBE with an emotional tribute to the former ECB Board Member delivered by ECB Chair Richard Thompson.

The cinch PCA Awards also recognised Anna Harris and Nick Cook as Umpires of the Year, as voted for by the players, while the work of the association over the three years since the last in-person event was celebrated. The role of the PCA’s Personal Development and Welfare Programme, commercial partnerships and the importance of EDI, including the appointment of a specific Director of EDI and the growth of the women’s game was highlighted.

The Professional Cricketers’ Trust was also featured with all money raised from the night’s fundraising providing support for PCA members and their immediate families when they need it most.

PCA Chief Executive, Rob Lynch, said: “It was a momentous occasion to finally be back in person for this prestigious ceremony. Congratulations must go to our four main award winners at this year’s cinch PCA Awards, all of you have performed brilliantly this year and are deserving of your prizes.

“To all the other award winners from this season, well done on your sensational performances which have helped make this a memorable summer, your contribution to the game has been immense.

“Finally, thank you to cinch for making the PCA Awards possible and for your commitment to supporting the professional game, it is certainly valued by everyone in the game.”

cinch Chief Customer Officer, Robert Bridge, said: “cinch is delighted to be celebrating their second year as the lead partner of the cinch PCA Awards. As the official sponsor of the event, we’d like to wish all the winners a huge congratulations on their achievements.”

Full list of awards announced at the cinch PCA Awards:

• cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year – Jonny Bairstow
• cinch PCA Women’s Player of the Year – Nat Sciver
• cinch PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year – Harry Brook
• cinch PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year – Freya Kemp
• PCA Outstanding Contribution Award – Andy Brassington
• ECB Special Merit – Brenda Trenowden CBE
• PCA Umpire of the Year – Men’s Game – Nick Cook
• PCA Umpire of the Year – Women’s Game – Anna Harris

List of awards recognised at the cinch PCA Awards

• IG PCA Men’s Team of the Year – Adam Lyth, Shan Masood, James Vince, James Bracey (WK), Harry Brook, Will Jacks ©, Wiaan Mulder, James Fuller, Keith Barker, Simon Harmer, Sam Cook
• Vitality PCA Women’s Team of the Year – Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt, Emma Lamb, Nat Sciver, Georgia Adams ©, Amy Jones (WK), Bryony Smith, Grace Scrivens, Emily Arlott, Katie Levick, Lauren Bell
• PCA Women’s Overall Domestic MVP – Georgia Adams
• PCA Men’s Overall Domestic MVP – Will Jacks
• Royal London ODI Men’s Player of the Summer – Jos Buttler
• Vitality IT20 Men’s Player of the Summer – Moeen Ali
• LV= Insurance Test Player of the Summer – Jonny Bairstow
• Vitality Blast Player of the Year – James Vince
• Royal London Cup Player of the Year – Wiaan Mulder
• LV= Insurance County Championship Player of the Year – Keith Barker
• The Hundred PCA MVP Men’s Player of the Year – Adam Lyth
• The Hundred PCA MVP Women’s Player of the Year – Nat Sciver
• Vitality IT20 Women’s Player of the Summer – Sophia Dunkley
• Royal London ODI Women’s Player of the Summer – Charlie Dean
• Charlotte Edwards Cup Player of the Year – Amy Jones
• Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Player of the Year – Lauren Winfield-Hill