Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel has capped a trophy-laden summer by being voted the NatWest PCA Players’ Player of the Year.
Patel had already won the PCA Most Valuable Player Award and added the NatWest PCA Players’ Player Award to winners’ medals in the Royal London One-Day Cup and the NatWest T20 Blast plus promotion in the Specsavers County Championship after his outstanding performances in all cricket was recognised by current county players.
Patel was presented with the Reg Hayter Cup at the 48th NatWest PCA Awards at the Roundhouse in London, one of 13 awards presented on the night.
Patel faced competition from Surrey’s retiring former Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara, Glamorgan all-rounder Colin Ingram and Essex seamer Jamie Porter for the NatWest PCA Players’ Player Award but Porter did collect two prizes, winning the John Arlott Cup for the NatWest PCA Young Player of the Year Award and the Specsavers County Championship Player of the Year.
Patel is the first Nottinghamshire player since Richard Hadlee in 1987 to lift the Reg Hayter Cup and only the county’s third player to win the award most-coveted by county players after Hadlee (who also won it 1984 and 1981) and Barry Stead in 1974. The award was introduced in 1970.
“It’s a great honour to be voted by your peers. It’s a great feeling and it demonstrates how well we have done as a team and individually this season,” Patel said.
“I’m a little bit surprised actually. To be up there with a world class player like Sanga, with the amount of runs that he scored in a short amount of time, is a privilege in itself.
“Jamie has had a wonderful year. Essex have won Division One and he has been the stand-out bowler in the First Division.
“It’s a great achievement for all four shortlisted nominees so I’m very pleased. I’ve never been up there for Players’ Player before so to win it is unreal really. I’m really happy and chuffed to bits.”
Patel, and Nottinghamshire team mate Alex Hales, were also named in the PCA Team Of The Year.
***********
The world’s best are heading to Trent Bridge in 2018 for a trio of international fixtures. Register your interest to receive priority booking here.