Harry Brook and Nat Sciver Brunt win Bob Willis award

New Delhi, Nov 28

England cricketer Harry Brook has been awarded the Bob Willis Trophy at the 2023 Cricket Writers' Club awards. All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt picked up the Women's Cricket Award for a second consecutive year.

Following a stellar year in which Brook played a pivotal part for England in three different formats, Brook was granted the Bob Willis Trophy, which is given to England's men's or women's player of the year.

Shortly after winning the CWC Young Cricketer of the Year, Brook, 24, took home the trophy for overall cricketer of the year.

Brook became the fastest player to reach 1,000 Test runs in terms of balls faced in November 2022 after helping England win the T20 World Cup and making four hundreds in his first 12 Test matches.

In addition, Brook helped the Northern Superchargers win The Hundred by scoring a century off 41 balls, which paved the door for him to be included in England's World Cup roster.

"I think the T20 World Cup just tops it to be honest," said Brook. "To have won a World Cup, to have played in an Ashes series and to have experienced some of the things I have this year is a dream come true.

"It has been the most enjoyable time of my life so far. The way we've gone out there and tried to play our cricket has been really fun."

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.

"It seems like it's not real to me still," said Sciver-Brunt.

"Just having a quick think about it and really the enormity of the year that's happened. Hopefully it's the first of many 'firsts' in terms of women's cricket's journey."

Somerset's teenage wicketkeeper-batter James Rew was named the Young Cricketer of the Year after a breakthrough season.

Rew scored more than 1,000 runs for Somerset in the County Championship and finished third in the leading Division One run-scorers' table, averaging 57.15.