Jonny Bairstow and Nat Sciver named PCA Players of the Year as Harry Brook and Freya Kemp also honoured

Jonny Bairstow scored four centuries in six Tests for England during run-laden summer; Sciver struck maiden Test ton against South Africa and starred in The Hundred; Harry Brook claims Men’s Young Player of the Year award for second straight season

Jonny Bairstow and Nat Sciver have been named PCA Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year respectively with Harry Brook and Freya Kemp landing the Young Player awards.

Bairstow scored four centuries in six Tests for the England men’s side this home summer, amassing 681 runs at an average of 75.66 with a strike rate of 96.59 as he played a major part in his country’s red-ball revival under captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

The Yorkshireman struck a scintillating 136 from 92 balls in the second Test against New Zealand and followed that up with 162 and 71 not out in the final fixture against the Black Caps as England earned a 3-0 series sweep.

Bairstow continued his stunning form with 106 and an unbeaten 114 in the rearranged fifth Test against India, a game England won by seven wickets.

The 33-year-old – who is currently recovering from a broken leg sustained playing golf which will rule him out until 2023 – has won two awards this week with the PCA accolade coming days after he was named England’s Player of the Year by the Cricket Writers’ Club.

Bairstow scored four centuries in six Tests this summer as he played a major role in England’s red-ball revival

England all-rounder Sciver was also honoured at Thursday’s Professional Cricketers’ Association awards ceremony in London, wining the Women’s award for a second time after previously landing it in 2017.

Sciver scored her first Test century against South Africa in June and notched 228 runs in six innings in The Hundred while playing for Trent Rockets, with her runs in that competition coming at an average of 76.

Sciver opted to miss England’s series against India in September in order prioritise her mental health.

Nat Sciver was battling with Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley and Lauren Winfield-Hill for PCA Women’s Player of the Year

Brook and Kemp also scooped gongs, with Brook winning Men’s Young Player of the Year for the second season in a row – the first time that feat has been achieved since Sir Alastair Cook in 2005 and 2006.

Yorkshire Brook, 23, made his Test debut for England in September – coming into the side following Bairstow’s injury – after piling up 976 County Championship runs at an average of 107.40.

Harry Brook has won PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year for the second season in a row

Brook was then England’s leading run-scorer in the recent 4-3 T20I series win in Pakistan, with his 238 runs at an average of 79.33 and strike rate of 163.01 seemingly inking him into his country’s T20 World Cup first XI when the tournament starts later this month.

All-rounder Kemp, 17, made her domestic bow earlier in the season and then her England Women debut against South Africa in Derby in July before being part of the squad that reached the semi-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Kemp has so far played nine T20 internationals and two one-day internationals, taking 11 wickets with her left-arm seam bowling and hitting a maiden international fifty in the second T20I against India.

Freya Kemp has scooped PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year after her maiden domestic and international summer

PCA Award winners 2022

Men’s Player of the Year: Jonny Bairstow
Other nominees: Harry Brook, Will Jacks, Wayne Madsen

Men’s Young Player of the Year: Harry Brook
Other nominees: Will Jacks, Matthew Potts

Women’s Player of the Year: Nat Sciver
Other nominees: Emma Lamb, Sophia Dunkley, Lauren Winfield-Hill

Women’s Young Player of the Year: Freya Kemp
Other nominees: Alice Capsey, Grace Scrivens