Arabic version: أوفرتون ولوف يفوزان بجائزتي أفضل لاعبَين من رابطة لاعبي الكريكيت المحترفين

According to BBC News, Somerset’s Craig Overton and Sophie Luff have won the leading prizes at the Professional Cricketers’ Association awards. Overton was named men’s player of the year, while Luff became women’s player of the year.

All-rounder Overton, 32, produced a strong season across formats as Somerset narrowly missed a first County Championship title and reached the T20 Blast semi-finals. He scored three first-class centuries and averaged below 20 with the ball in the County Championship. His performances have prompted discussion of a possible England recall, four years after the last of his eight Test caps.

Overton was selected ahead of Joe Clarke, George Hill and Dan Lawrence. “It’s a phenomenal feeling,” he said. “To be chosen by your peers to win this award is very special, it means so much to me.” He added that he felt mentally in a strong position to perform during a schedule in which matches came “near enough every other day”.

Somerset captain Luff, 32, scored more than 1,000 runs across formats during the summer, including an average above 40 in the One-Day Cup. She also helped Trent Rockets win The Hundred and became the first women’s player of the year recipient since 2021 not to have played international cricket. Luff finished ahead of internationals Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley and Mady Villiers.

In the young player awards, pace bowler Sonny Baker and left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman were honoured. Baker, 23, made his Test debut against New Zealand at The Oval in June, while Corteen-Coleman, 19, was a surprise selection in England’s T20 World Cup squad. Former England captain Heather Knight received the Outstanding Contribution Award after retiring internationally, and Tammy Beaumont won a Special Merit Award.