The Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year is an annual cricket award, presented to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English county cricket. The award has been presented since the 1950 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the Cricket Writers' Club. Only players that are qualified to represent the England cricket team, and are aged under 23 on 1 May of the awarding year, are eligible for the prize. With the exception of 1986, when a joint award was made, the accolade has been presented to one individual each season. The award has been described by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as "prestigious". [1] Although not a firm rule, once a player has won the award, they are considered ineligible to receive it in the future. [2]
Archie Ledbrooke, a sports reporter for the Daily Mirror and the first treasurer of the Cricket Writers' Club, came up with the idea for the award. It was first presented in 1950, when Roy Tattersall of Lancashire was the recipient. In 1986, the vote was tied, and the award was made jointly to Ashley Metcalfe of Nottinghamshire and James Whitaker of Leicestershire. The 1995 winner, Andrew Symonds, went on to make over 200 international appearances for Australia, but at the time of his award was eligible to play for England, as he was born in Birmingham. [3] As of 2021 [update] , representatives of seventeen of the eighteen first-class cricket counties have won the award; [4] no player from Worcestershire has ever won. Yorkshire players have collected the award most frequently, doing so on eleven occasions. Only seven winners have not gone on to play international cricket. [lower-alpha 1]
On eleven occasions, the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year has also been named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for that season. [5] Since 1990, 17 of the 31 winners have also collected the PCA Young Player of the Year award, selected by members of the players' trade union, the Professional Cricketers' Association. [6]
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is a retired Antiguan cricketer who represented the West Indies cricket team between 1974 and 1991. Usually batting generally at number three in a dominant West Indies side, Richards is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. Richards was part of the squads which won the 1975 Cricket World Cup and 1979 Cricket World Cup and finished as runners up in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara is a Sri Lankan former professional cricketer who represented Sri Lanka in 134 Test matches from 2000 to 2015, including fifteen as captain. In first-class cricket, he played for Nondescripts Cricket Club from 1997–98 to 2013–14 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 2015 to 2017. He also played for numerous franchise teams. He was born in Matale, Central Province. He was a part of the Sri Lankan squads which won the 2001-02 Asian Test Championship, 2002 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Andrew Symonds was an Australian international cricketer, who played all three formats as a batting all-rounder. Commonly nicknamed "Roy", he was a key member of two World Cup–winning squads. Symonds was a part of the team that won both the 2003 Cricket World Cup and, four years later, the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Symonds played as a right-handed, middle-order batsman and alternated between medium pace and off-spin bowling. He was also notable for his exceptional fielding skills.
David Leslie Bairstow was an English cricketer, who played for Yorkshire and England as a wicket-keeper. He also played football for his hometown club Bradford City. He is the father of England international cricketer Jonny Bairstow.
Charlotte Marie Edwards is an English former cricketer and current cricket coach and commentator. She played primarily as a right-handed batter. She appeared in 23 Test matches, 191 One Day Internationals and 95 Twenty20 Internationals for England between 1996 and 2016. She played domestic cricket in England for East Anglia, Kent, Hampshire and Southern Vipers, as well as overseas for Northern Districts, Western Australia, Perth Scorchers, South Australia and Adelaide Strikers.
Craig Kieswetter is an English professional golfer and former cricketer who appeared in 71 matches for the England cricket team between 2010 and 2013. Born and raised in South Africa, Kieswetter moved to England to complete his education, and began playing county cricket for Somerset in 2007. Three years later, he made his international debut in a One Day International (ODI) against Bangladesh. A wicket-keeper batsman, he was considered a one-day specialist, and all his international appearances came in ODIs or Twenty20 Internationals.
Gary Simon Ballance is a Zimbabwean former cricketer who represented England internationally from 2013 to 2017, and also represented Zimbabwe in 2023. He is a left-handed batsman and a leg break bowler, who last played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club. He was born in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is known for his style of striking deep in the crease. He qualified to play for England through residency and British passports.
Anya Shrubsole is an English former cricketer who played as a right-arm medium pace bowler and right-handed lower-order batter. She played for England between 2008 and 2022, and played domestic cricket for Somerset, Berkshire, Western Storm, Southern Vipers, Southern Brave and Perth Scorchers. She made her England debut in 2008, and was Player of the Match in the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup Final. In 2018, she became the first woman to appear on the cover of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. In April 2022, Shrubsole announced her retirement from international cricket. In June 2023, she announced her intention to retire from all forms of cricket after the 2023 season of The Hundred.
Jonathan Marc Bairstow is an English cricketer who plays internationally for England in all formats as a right-handed wicket-keeper-batter. In domestic cricket, he has played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club since 2009. He has also played for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Joseph Charles Buttler is an English cricketer who is the captain of the England cricket team in limited overs cricket, and previously played for the England Test team. In domestic cricket he represents Lancashire, having previously played for Somerset, and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues, including for Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Buttler is known for his highly innovative and aggressive batting style, especially in limited over cricket. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup. Under his captaincy, England won the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.
Tamsin Tilley Beaumont is an English cricketer who currently plays for Kent, The Blaze, Welsh Fire, Melbourne Renegades and England. She plays primarily as an opening batter and occasional wicket-keeper. She has previously played for Surrey Stars, Adelaide Strikers, Southern Vipers, Sydney Thunder and London Spirit.
The Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year is a cricketer selected for the honour by the annual publication Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. The decision is based upon "his or her performances in school's cricket, as reported in Wisden". Wisden has included details of schools cricket as far back as its second edition in 1865, when it carried an account of the match between Eton College and Harrow School. In 1918 and 1919, as no first-class cricket was being played due to the First World War, the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year were chosen from public schools. The first Young Wisden Cricketer of the Year was named in 2008, in the 144th edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, in an effort to "help raise the profile of schools cricket, especially at state schools." The first winner was Jonny Bairstow of St Peter's School, York.
Benjamin Andrew Stokes is an English international cricketer who is the captain of the England Test team and plays for the England team in ODIs and T20Is. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.
Andrew Balbirnie is an Irish cricketer, the current captain of the Ireland cricket team in Test cricket. Balbirnie is a right-handed batsman and an occasional wicket-keeper. He was born in Dublin and was educated at St. Andrew's College. He was one of the 11 cricketers to play in Ireland's first ever Test match, against Pakistan, in May 2018. In December 2018, he was one of 19 players to be awarded a central contract by Cricket Ireland for the 2019 season.
Samuel Robert Hain is a cricketer who plays for Warwickshire County Cricket Club and represents England. He is a right-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off spin. He made his debut for the county in the 2013 Yorkshire Bank 40 against Worcestershire.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore is an English professional cricketer who plays for Somerset. He is a right-handed batsman who also bowls right-arm off spin.
Oliver Edward Robinson is an English professional cricketer who plays internationally for the England Test cricket team. In domestic cricket, he represents Sussex, having previously played for Yorkshire and Hampshire. He made his Test debut in 2021, and plays as a right-arm medium-pace bowler.He made a comeback in test cricket against India in the 4th test at Ranchi after a long break from injury.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz is a Bangladeshi international cricketer who plays for the Bangladesh national team. A bowling-all-rounder, he is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm off break bowler. On 11 February 2016, he was awarded 'Player of the Tournament' at the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup 2016, becoming the only Bangladeshi player to achieve this honor in an ICC Event. In November 2018, against the West Indies, he took the best match figures for a Bangladesh bowler in a Test match. In February 2021, he scored his maiden century in Tests against the West Indies. In the same series, he became the fastest bowler for Bangladesh, in terms of matches, to take 100 wickets in Test cricket, doing so in his 24th match. In May 2021, he was the No. 2 ODI bowler in ICC Rankings, becoming the third Bangladeshi bowler ever to hold that position; the other two being Shakib Al Hasan and Abdur Razzak.
Oliver John Douglas Pope is an English professional cricketer who plays for the England cricket team and Surrey County Cricket Club. He is a right-handed batter who occasionally plays as a wicket-keeper. He made his Test debut against India in 2018.
The Cricket Writers' Club County Championship Player of the Year is an annual cricket award, presented to the player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in the County Championship, England's first-class cricket competition. The award has been presented since the 2012 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the Cricket Writers' Club, an association open to "recognised correspondents of newspapers and periodicals and on radio and television". Any male player competing in the County Championship is eligible.