Dominic Sibley nominated as cricketer of the year
Warwickshire opener Dominic Sibley has been shortlisted alongside England hero Ben Stokes for the Professional Cricketers’ Association players’ player of the year award.
Stokes, who starred in both the World Cup and the Ashes, has been nominated alongside Gloucestershire all-rounder Ryan Higgins, Essex spinner Simon Harmer and Sibley ahead of the 50th edition of the annual PCA Awards on Wednesday, October 2.
Stokes won the young player award in 2013 and if he scoops the Reg Hayter Cup at London’s Roundhouse next Wednesday, he will become only the sixth player to collect the PCA’s top two male honours.
Having started the World Cup with a phenomenal catch in the curtain-raiser, Stokes’ unbeaten 84 against New Zealand in the final was central to England winning a global 50-over competition for the first time in their history.
The all-rounder followed that up with a tour de force 135 not out against Australia at Headingley last month, an unforgettable innings in a series where his 441 runs at an average of 55.12 was England’s best aggregate total.
Sibley has been the season’s leading run-scorer in the County Championship and this week received his maiden call-up to the England Test squad to travel to New Zealand.
The 24-year-old is also in the running for the young player award.
Sibley and Crawley have both received maiden Test call-ups for England’s winter tour to New Zealand, while Banton has been included in the squad for the Twenty20 portion of the trip after amassing in excess of 1,000 runs across the two domestic limited-overs competitions.
Bracey’s form across all formats saw him handed a debut for England Lions against Australia A in July.
England trio Sophie Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt and Amy Jones have been named as the nominees for the women’s player of the summer gong.
Slow left-armer Ecclestone, who scooped the honour last year, was England’s leading wicket-taker in both multi-format series against the West Indies with six scalps, while she had 13 victims in the Ashes.
Despite Australia handily retaining the urn, Brunt collected eight wickets in the series, while opener and occasional wicketkeeper Jones is included after her tally of 189 runs in three one-day internationals at an average of 63 against the Windies.
