Ramps named Player of the Year

Former England batsman Mark Ramprakash has been named the Professional Cricketers’ Association Player of the Year for 2006, following an outstanding season with Surrey. Alastair Cook picked up the Young Player of the Year award for his efforts with Essex and England, while David English received the ECB Special Award for his work with the Bunbury Cricket Festival.

The 37-year-old Ramprakash has racked up an incredible 2211 first-class runs in 2006, at the scarcely believable average of 105.28. Cook cemented his place as a key member of England’s top order, scoring two centuries in the series against Pakistan and proving himself a more than capable replacement for the absent Michael Vaughan.

Cook himself was a graduate of David English’s Bunbury Cricket Festival, having played there as a teenager along with the likes of teammate Ian Bell, who himself picked up the Slazenger Sheer Instinct Award. English picked up the Special Award for his contribution to youth cricket in England, having organised the Festival for the last 20 years.

Player of the Year 2006 Mark Ramprakash