Essex seam bowler Jamie Porter is in contention to emulate Northamptonshire’s Ben Duckett by completing the double at the NatWest PCA Awards.
Last year Duckett became the first player to win both the NatWest PCA Players’ Player and Young Player of the Year Awards in the same season and Porter, already a Specsavers County Championship winner this summer, has been shortlisted in both categories.
Both awards are voted for by current county players. Porter has been shortlisted alongside Glamorgan all-rounder Colin Ingram, Nottinghamshire’s double winning all-rounder Samit Patel and Surrey’s former Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year. The winner will receive the Reg Hayter Cup.
In the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Award, Porter faces competition for the John Arlott Cup from fellow seamers, Jofra Archer of Sussex, Yorkshire’s Ben Coad and Somerset’s Craig Overton who, was yesterday called up to England’s Ashes squad.
Three members of the England side that won the ICC Women’s World Cup have been shortlisted for the NatWest Women’s Player of the Summer. Opening batsman Tammy Beaumont, who won this prize 12 months ago, faces competition from slow left-armer Alex Hartley and all-rounder Natalie Sciver for the award which will be voted for by their peers.
The 48th NatWest PCA Awards will take place at the Roundhouse in Camden on October 4. The event is organised by the PCA in their 50th year, in association with the England and Wales Cricket Board with the Awards reflecting the domestic and international season with all proceeds from the night going to the PCA Benevolent Fund.
NOMINEES FOR NATWEST PCA PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Porter (Essex)
Three years ago Porter was working as a recruitment consultant but Essex’s decision to sign him proved inspired as he topped 70 wickets in leading them to their first County Championship title in 25 years.
He returned career-best and match figures – seven for 55 and 12 for 95 – against Somerset at Chelmsford in August and took seven wickets in the match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston which clinched the title.
Colin Ingram (Glamorgan)
The former South Africa left-hander was the standout limited-overs batsman in the country this season, scoring 1,026 runs and five centuries in white-ball cricket.
He finished top of the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings in the Royal London One-Day Cup and was third in the NatWest T20 Blast PCA MVP.
Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire)
The former England all-rounder played a key role in Nottinghamshire’s white ball trophy double by scoring 539 runs and taking nine wickets in the Royal London One-Day Cup and 405 runs and taking 16 wickets in the NatWest T20 Blast. He was second in the PCA MVP in both competitions.
He made back-to-back centuries in the Specsavers County Championship in June against Gloucestershire and Leicestershire.
Kumar Sangakkara (Surrey)
The Sri Lankan great went into retirement leaving the fans wanting more. He topped 1,400 runs in his farewell season and fell just 16 runs short of becoming only the fourth batsman in first-class history after CB Fry, Don Bradman and Mike Procter to score six centuries in consecutive innings.
Sangakkara also shone in the Royal London One-Day Cup with 545 runs including two centuries and three half centuries in nine innings.
NOMINEES FOR NATWEST PCA YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jamie Porter (Essex)
The former MCC Young Cricketer made his mark this season by spearheading the attack in Essex’s County Championship campaign.
Porter’s county performances were noted by the England selectors who picked him for England Lions against South Africa A at Canterbury where he took six wickets in the match.
Jofra Archer (Sussex)
The Barbados –born former West Indies Under-19 international made a big impression in his first full season of county cricket, taking more than 80 wickets across all competitions including a career-best seven for 67 in the Specsavers County Championship opener against Kent.
He proved equally effective in white ball cricket and took a NatWest T20 Blast four for 18 in the victory over Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl and also contributed important runs down the order in all three competitions.
Ben Coad (Yorkshire)
The Ripon-based seamer was given his chance at the start of the season because of injuries to frontline bowlers and seized the opportunity by taking three five wicket hauls in the first two matches.
Coad took six for 37 in the defeat by Hampshire and followed up with a maiden 10 wicket match haul in the demolition of Warwickshire at Edgbaston. He followed up with another five wicket haul in the Roses Match victory over Lancashire at Headingley in June.
Craig Overton (Somerset)
The 23-year-old Devonian played in all but two of Somerset’s matches in all competitions and those were only because he was on international duty with England and England Lions.
Overton led Somerset’s tack brilliantly, taking more than 70 wickets across all formats with a career-best match haul of nine for 134 against Yorkshire at Scarborough.
