Capsey youngest-ever winner, Eve Jones first domestic player to be named women’s Player of the Year
Joe Root and Eve Jones have been voted winners of the cinch Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) men’s and women’s Player of the Year awards, with Harry Brook and Alice Capsey each picking up Young Player of the Year.
Root has scored six Test hundreds in the year to date, including three in consecutive games against India this summer. Jones, meanwhile, becomes the first women’s domestic professional to win the award, after playing a leading role for her sides, Central Sparks and Birmingham Phoenix, across three different competitions in the ECB’s expanded structure.
“I’m very proud to receive the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year award,” Root said. “It means a huge amount to be recognised by your fellow professionals. You spend a lot of time playing alongside them and for them to vote for me is really quite humbling. A lot of my heroes when I was growing up are on that trophy so I’m chuffed to be alongside them.
“I’ve been in good touch and had a good understanding of how I wanted to score my runs this year. There have been some really close games and it’s been very enjoyable. I’ve scored runs against the best teams in the world so that has given me confidence, even as an experienced player.”
Jones, 29, was one of the 41 new members inducted to the PCA after the introduction of women’s domestic contracts for 2021. She scored more than 800 runs across the Hundred, Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and Charlotte Edward Cup, her form subsequently winning her a maiden contract in the Women’s Big Bash League.
“I never expected to pick up an award like this, so I’m really delighted that my fellow players have voted for me to win,” Jones said. “It means a great deal. Some fantastic players have won this award so it’s nice to follow in their footsteps and get my name on the trophy alongside theirs.
“It’s been a long time coming for a lot of the girls to dedicate more time to playing and training, so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being a professional throughout the last year. Having cricket as my main career is something that I’ve dreamed of for a long time.”
Arguably the star of the summer across men’s and women’s cricket was teenage allrounder Capsey, who picked up winner’s medals with both Oval Invincibles in the Hundred, and South East Stars in the Charlotte Edwards Cup. Despite not yet being contracted, or a PCA member, the PCA Women’s Committee voted to make non-members eligible, enabling Capsey to be named the inaugural women’s Young Player of the Year – and become the youngest-ever winner of a PCA player-voted award.
Capsey was just 16 when she played on the Hundred’s opening night at the Kia Oval, going on to score 150 runs to go with 10 wickets in Invincibles’ run to the title. She also made 203 runs and took seven wickets in Stars’ domestic T20 triumph.
“It’s a massive honour and not something I really expected,” Capsey said. “When I got the phone call it hadn’t even been something that I’d processed in my mind. I can’t really put it into words. I’m not even a PCA member yet so to win the award is just incredible.
“It’s a huge honour and it will probably be the one of the best awards that I win in my career. To be the first person to have your name engraved on the trophy will be really special.”
Brook, the 22-year-old Yorkshire batter, enjoyed a breakthrough season in white-ball cricket in particular, scoring 486 runs at 69.42 in the Vitality Blast and a further 189 in five Hundred innings for Northern Superchargers. He was also Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in the Championship, with 797 at 37.95, including two hundreds.
“It’s really nice to have received the most votes to win the cinch PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year – I’m really happy with the award,” he said. “It’s always great playing in front of a packed crowd at Headingley, and The Hundred was awesome as well. I can’t wait to keep doing it for years to come.
“The best players back it up year after year and hopefully I can do that. There’s still things to work on in my game and there’s a big winter coming up where I can try to become better and better.”
Rob Lynch, the PCA’s chief executive, added: “A huge congratulations must go to the four main award winners at this year’s cinch PCA Awards – all of you are thoroughly deserving recipients.
“I would also like to put in a word for the winners at the cinch PCA Awards who have been announced throughout the last few weeks. Your performances have been absolutely sensational during what has been a memorable season with the return of capacity crowds.
“Finally, thanks must also go to cinch for making the PCA Awards possible and for the company’s commitment to supporting the professional game across the board. It is valued by everyone within the game and long may our partnership continue.”