Harry Brook has been named England Player of the Year at the 2023 Cricket Writers’ Club Annual Awards with Nat Sciver-Brunt claiming the women’s award.
Batter Brook scooped the Bob Willis Trophy, which is named after the late England seamer and Sky Sports analyst and which recognises the best player, male or female, across a 12-month period.
Performances between October 1, 2002 and September 30, 2023 were taken into account, during which period Brook scored four hundreds and seven fifties in 11 Test matches, with a best of 186, as he thrived under the leadership of captain Ben Stokes and red-ball head coach Brendon McCullum.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Watch Brook’s best shots as he smashed a stunning 41- ball century for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred
The Yorkshireman was also part of the England side that won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia and drew The Ashes at home this summer, while his 41-ball ton for Northern Superchargers in The Hundred helped force his way into his country’s squad for the recent 50-over World Cup in India.
Brook – the second winner of the Bob Willis Trophy, after Yorkshire and England team-mate Jonny Bairstow – said: “I think the T20 World Cup just tops it. Coming out on top there was the one.
“To have won a World Cup, to have played in an Ashes series and to have experienced some of the things I have this year is a dream come true.
“It has been the most enjoyable time of my life so far to be honest. The way we’ve gone out there and tried to play our cricket has been really fun.”
Image:
Brook was part of the England side that won the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia
Award-winning Sciver-Brunt has captaincy ambitions
England all-rounder Sciver-Brunt landed the JM Finn Women’s Cricket Award for the second year in succession, with her back-to-back ODI hundreds against Australia during the drawn Women’s Ashes series and 66-ball ton against Sri Lanka highlights of her summer.
The 31-year-old – part of England’s Test and T20I squads for December’s tour of India – says she would love to captain her country in the future.
Sciver-Brunt said: “Heather (Knight) has got a few years left in her I’m sure… She’s done such a great job. There’ll be big, big shoes to fill. But I would like to lead England and we’ll see how it goes.
“Whether it’s one format at a time, I’m not really sure, but it’ll be really, really great to lead England.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Nat Sciver-Brunt hit England’s fastest century in women’s ODI cricket, from just 66 balls, against Sri Lanka
Somerset wicketkeeper-batter James Rew and England fast bowler Lauren Filer were also winners at the CWC Awards, with Rew named Young Cricketer of the Year and Filer landing the Emerging Cricketer of the Year prize.
Rew, 19, amassed 1,086 runs in LV= Insurance County Championship Division One in 2023, scoring five hundreds with a top-score of 221.
Filer, 22, picked up four wickets in her debut Test match, against Australia during the Women’s Ashes, and then three on her one-day international bow versus Sri Lanka en route to eight wickets in the three-game series.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
England fast bowler Lauren Filer took three wickets on her one-day international debut, including two in as many deliveries
Durham’s Alex Lees was named County Championship Player of the Year after his 1,347 runs at an average of 70.89 helped his side earn promotion.
Alfie Pyle was awarded Lord’s Taverners Disability Cricketer of the Year having lifted the Disability Premier League trophy with Hawks after they beat Pirates in the final, live on Sky Sports.
Sussex batter Pyle recently made his debut for the England Learning Disability XI.