The Bob Willis Trophy for 2023 Cricket Writers’ Club Awards went to Harry Brook of England.
Just two years after taking home the CWC Young Cricketer of the Year title, Brook, 24, won the title of overall cricketer of the year.
For the second year in a row, all-around player Nat Sciver-Brunt was the recipient of the Women’s Cricket Award.
Kevin Howells, a BBC broadcaster, received the Peter Smith Award.
Brook won the Bob Willis Trophy, which is given to the men’s or women’s player of the year in England, following a successful year in which he played a major part in three different forms for the national team.
In addition to helping England win the T20 World Cup in November 2022, Brook became the fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in terms of balls faced by making four hundreds in his first 12 Test appearances.
In The Hundred, Brook further cemented his place in England’s World Cup squad with a 41-ball century for the Northern Superchargers.
“I think the T20 World Cup just tops it to be honest,” Brook added. “It’s a dream come true to have participated in an Ashes series, won a World Cup, and had some of the experiences I have this year.
“So far, this has been the most wonderful period of my life. It has truly been enjoyable for us to try playing cricket outside.”
Despite being 6-0 down, Sciver-Brunt’s performances for England in the Women’s Ashes helped them tie the series 8-8 with Australia, earning her the Women’s Cricket Award for the second year in a row.
Sciver-Brunt had also been England’s leading run scorer during their journey to the T20 World Cup semifinals in South Africa earlier in the year.
“I still feel like it’s not real,” Sciver-Brunt remarked.
“Just giving it a short thought and realizing how big of a year it has been. Hopefully, this marks only the beginning of many “firsts” for women’s cricket.”
The 31-year-old also mentioned how she would “love” the opportunity to lead England as captain someday.
“I’m sure Heather Knight has a few more years in her,” Sciver-Brunt remarked. “She did a fantastic job. However, I would like to lead England; we’ll see. I’m not sure if I’ll be leading England one format at a time, but it will be an incredible honor.”
James Rew, a young wicketkeeper-batter from Somerset, won the Young Cricketer of the Year award following a breakout year.
Rew led Division One in run-scoring with an average of 57.15, and he scored over 1,000 runs for Somerset in the County Championship.
After leading Division Two in runs scored with 1,347 runs, former England opening batsman Alex Lees was named the County Championship Player of the Year, helping Durham win the league.
Lauren Filer, a fast bowler, won the Emerging Cricketer of the Year award. In September, Filer gained her first three one-day international caps against Sri Lanka after making her Test debut against Australia in the Ashes Test.
Howells, a BBC broadcaster, received the Peter Smith award for his broadcasting efforts, especially during the County Championship.
“One of the best broadcasters in the nation is Kevin Howells,” Tanya Aldred, the chair of the panel that chose the award, remarked.
“He oversees a nationwide BBC broadcasting staff with diligence and skill, while maintaining a sense of perspective and humor in his work. His enthusiasm and expertise for the county game contribute to its survival.”
Derek Hodgson Book Award winner Nicholas Brookes’ “An Island’s Eleven” and Disability Cricketer of the Year Alfie Pyle of the Sussex D40 are both winners.
About Harry Brook
Harry Brook made a splash as one of the most exciting young players in the world in the winter of 2022–2023, going on an incredible run of form in all forms, especially with England’s revived Test team. Following his September 2022 debut against South Africa, Brook went to Pakistan and New Zealand with Ben Stokes’ squad. There, he amassed 809 runs in nine innings at an incredible strike-rate of 98.77, after he rattled off consecutive scores of 153, 87, 9, 111, 89, 54, and 186. Vinod Kambli began the Test match with more runs than any other player in history (796 runs after his own ninth innings), and his achievement was further enhanced by the lackluster tenth innings (run out without facing in England’s stunning one-run defeat at Wellington) of Brook.
After playing a part in England’s victory in Australia earlier in the winter, Brook had also won the T20 World Cup by that point. Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased him for Rs 13.25 crore (£1.3 million) at the December IPL auction.
About Natalie Sciver
Natalie Sciver was born in Tokyo and grew up in the Netherlands, where she played cricket for the first time, however it was never her first choice sport after football and tennis. She is a true all-rounder who was selected for England’s 2013 series against Pakistan after putting up strong performances for Surrey in the County Championship in 2012 and 2013. That summer, she made a big impression on the world stage as she defeated Pakistan with 3 for 28 and won Player of the Match in just her second One-Day International.
As a deft, accurate medium-pacer, she made history in October 2013 by becoming the first English player, male or female, to score a T20I hat-trick against New Zealand. She also made a name for herself as a crucial middle-order anchor for England during the 2013 Ashes series, averaging 100.00 at bat. Earlier this year in the Perth Test, she demonstrated the same ability, partnering with Arran Brindle for 58 runs to salvage England’s first innings and coming just one run short of her first-ever Test half-century.