The Spin | County Championship 2024 awards: the final word on the season

The 2024 County Championship season came to a close on Sunday afternoon, with handshakes exchanged as soon as it felt appropriate, all while autumn made its presence felt. This season was the longest in history, running from April 5 to September 29. Surrey, the frontrunners, secured their victory with one match remaining, while Sussex clinched the Division Two title on the last day, with a thousand fans braving the chilly weather to see Clare Connor present the trophy.

Time really flies. Rod Bransgrove revealed the sale of Hampshire to the Delhi Capitals before we could even take the season's trophies out of the Guardian cabinet where they've been sitting untouched since last year. Now, with this news somewhat overshadowed by influential figures in polished boardrooms shuffling papers, we finally present the County Championship awards for the summer.

Catch Of The Season: Mortimer & Whitehouse Award

To James Bracey. An amazing game took place at Cheltenham College in early July, concluding in spectacular fashion. Glamorgan was attempting to chase down an astonishing target of 593 runs for the win, and found themselves facing the final delivery with just one run needed. The No. 11 batsman, Jamie McIlroy, took a wild swing at Ajeet Singh Dale, but Bracey, without gloves, sprang into action like a firecracker behind the stumps, managing to hold onto the catch. He then dashed 50 yards to the boundary, celebrating as his teammates jumped and cheered around him. It was one of the most unforgettable matches in years.

"Harry Brook: Mastering Test Cricket With Ease"

Jamie Smith, often spoken about in reverent tones at the Oval since his teenage years, finally earned his place in the England Test team against the West Indies in July, following Jonny Bairstow's unexpected removal from the lineup. While he may not possess the same finesse as his Surrey teammate Ben Foakes in wicketkeeping, Smith's composure was remarkable and his batting was impressive. Together with Gus Atkinson, they showcased how the Championship can serve as a strong foundation for the longer format of the game.

John Curtice Award For Statistical Excellence

Jamie Porter and Ben Coad have faced numerous challenges throughout the Kookaburra trials, ultimately ending with 56 wickets each, making them the leading wicket-takers in Divisions One and Two, respectively. Although they are 31 and 30 years old and may not seem likely candidates for the England team, both are incredibly valuable players at the Championship level, a fact well understood by Essex and Yorkshire.

The Liz Truss Award For Unnecessary Stock Losses

To Batgate: Essex was penalized with a deduction of 12 points after umpires discovered that one of their players, Feroze Khushi, was using an oversized bat during a surprise inspection. Given that Durham faced a 10-point deduction last year for a comparable bat violation, this appears to be a straightforward matter to fix.

The Mark Ramprakash Award For Domestic Excellence

Liam Dawson had a remarkable year, winning the Professional Cricketers’ Association's award for the most valuable domestic player last season and improving even further in 2024. He achieved 50 wickets for the first time, scored 956 runs at an impressive average of just under 60, and played a key role in helping Hampshire out of tough situations, ultimately leading them to finish second in the Championship. However, England did not choose to select him for the team. Despite this, Dawson seems to have come to terms with being passed over in favor of players like Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley. There’s a valuable lesson in this situation—even though most of us lack the comfort of lucrative opportunities in the franchise league to cushion the disappointment.

The Gilbert Jessop Award For Bold Hitting

In June, it looked like Leicestershire was heading for an ordinary loss against Sussex when Louis Kimber came in to bat at No. 8, armed with a modest average of 24. However, something remarkable unfolded that day at Hove, resembling a midsummer frenzy. Kimber found his groove and hit an incredible 243 runs off just 127 balls, smashing 20 fours and 21 sixes, including an astonishing 43 runs from a single over by Ollie Robinson. Numerous records were shattered: he set the record for the fastest double century in Championship history (in just 100 balls), broke the record for the most sixes in a Championship innings (surpassing Ben Stokes’s previous record of 17), and amassed the most runs before lunch in a Championship match (191), all while wearing a heavy long-sleeved jumper in the middle of June.

Gold Award For Exceptional Performance

Gareth Roderick scored a century at Canterbury under poignant circumstances. Just a week after the heartbreaking loss of the talented young all-rounder Josh Baker from Worcestershire, his teammates returned to the field at Canterbury, with the flags at the Frank Woolley pavilion flying at half-mast and an unexpectedly warm sun shining down. Worcestershire won the toss and, following a moment of applause to honor Baker, went out to bat. Roderick managed to keep the team focused and steady, finishing his innings with 117 runs just before the end of the first day's play. He commemorated his hundred by tapping the ‘33’ on the players' shirts, which represented Baker's squad number. Against the odds, Worcestershire managed to avoid relegation, and they concluded the season by retiring the number 33 in Baker's honor.

The Manchester United Underachievement Award

Lancashire faced tough competition from three prominent Test counties. Warwickshire appears set for a change as Mark Robinson is likely to depart, while Nottinghamshire finally hit their stride as fall approached. Unfortunately, Lancashire ended up being relegated. The disappointing outcome can largely be attributed to issues at (the other) Old Trafford, where a mix of usually dependable senior players struggled, overseas signings didn't make the expected impact, Nathan Lyon was called back early by Cricket Australia, and the team was filled with talented but inexperienced young players. Lancashire suffered four losses by an innings and only managed to collect 15 points for batting. Although they gained three points from a draw against Worcestershire in their last match of the season, these were quickly lost due to a slow over rate. It's time to regroup and aim for a better result next year.

The Ultimate Killjoy Award

A shared recognition to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which keeps pushing the Championship to the sidelines, and to fossil fuel companies that are intensifying the climate crisis. This makes it incredibly challenging for groundskeepers to do their jobs at times, while also posing a serious threat to the future of the sport.