The Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year is an annual cricket award, presented to the young player who is adjudged to have been the best of the year in English county cricket. The award has been presented since the 1950 season and the winner is chosen by a vote amongst the members of the Cricket Writers' Club. Only players that are qualified to represent the England cricket team, and are aged under 23 on 1 May of the awarding year, are eligible for the prize. With the exception of 1986, when a joint award was made, the accolade has been presented to one individual each season. The award has been described by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) as "prestigious". Although not a firm rule, once a player has won the award, they are considered ineligible to receive it in the future.

Archie Ledbrooke, a sports reporter for the Daily Mirror and the first treasurer of the Cricket Writers' Club, came up with the idea for the award. It was first presented in 1950, when Roy Tattersall of Lancashire was the recipient. In 1986, the vote was tied, and the award was made jointly to Ashley Metcalfe of Nottinghamshire and James Whitaker of Leicestershire. The 1995 winner, Andrew Symonds, went on to make over 200 international appearances for Australia, but at the time of his award was eligible to play for England, as he was born in Birmingham. , representatives of seventeen of the eighteen first-class cricket counties have won the award; no player from Worcestershire has ever won. Yorkshire players have collected the award most frequently, doing so on eleven occasions. Only seven winners have not gone on to play international cricket.

On eleven occasions, the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year has also been named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year for that season. Since 1990, 19 of the 35 winners have also collected the PCA Young Player of the Year award, selected by members of the players' trade union, the Professional Cricketers' Association.

Key Player still active Number in parentheses indicates number of international appearances as captain. Statistics correct as of 30 September 2026. Tests – indicates how many appearances the player made in Test cricket during their career. ODIs – indicates how many appearances the player made in One Day International cricket during their career. T20Is – indicates how many appearances the player made in Twenty20 International cricket during their career.

Winners

YearPlayerClubInternational appearancesOther awards for that seasonRef(s) Tests ODIs T20Is 1950 Lancashire 16 0 0 1951 Surrey 0 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1952 Yorkshire 67 0 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1953 Kent 1 0 1954 Surrey 13 0 0 1955 Surrey 82 0 0 1956 Essex 0 0 0 1957 Surrey 8 0 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1958 Hampshire 0 0 0 1959 Lancashire 28 0 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1960 Gloucestershire 39 0 0 1961 Middlesex 37 0 0 1962 Yorkshire 12 0 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1963 Yorkshire 0 1964 Middlesex 0 1965 Kent 95 0 1966 Kent 86 26 0 1967 Sussex 0 1968 Hampshire 4 0 0 1969 Derbyshire 5 0 0 1970 Yorkshire 46 32 0 1971 Warwickshire 0 0 0 1972 Surrey 0 0 0 1973 Derbyshire 30 22 0 1974 Middlesex 51 29 0 1975 Lancashire 0 0 0 1976 Derbyshire 34 25 0 1977 Somerset 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1978 Leicestershire 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1979 Sussex 1 0 0 1980 Kent 41 38 0 1981 Middlesex 0 1982 Middlesex 19 23 0 1983 Essex 29 48 0 1984 Northamptonshire 4 4 0 1985 Gloucestershire 5 1 0 1986 Yorkshire 0 0 0 Leicestershire 1 2 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1987 Yorkshire 2 3 0 1988 Glamorgan 4 14 0 1989 Essex 0 1990 Lancashire 0 Wisden Cricketer of the YearPCA Young Player of the Year 1991 Middlesex 52 18 0 1992 Sussex 15 4 0 Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1993 Somerset 2 0 0 1994 Lancashire 37 13 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 1995 Gloucestershire 26 198 14 PCA Young Player of the Year 1996 Yorkshire 6 7 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 1997 Surrey 2 20 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 1998 Lancashire 7 PCA Young Player of the Year 1999 Surrey 10 3 0 2000 Nottinghamshire 0 1 0 2001 Middlesex 6 71 17 2002 Surrey 2 20 0 2003 * Lancashire 188 194 19 2004 Warwickshire 118 161 8 PCA Young Player of the Year 2005 Essex PCA Young Player of the Year 2006 Leicestershire 167 2007 * Yorkshire 19 164 153 PCA Young Player of the Year 2008 * Essex 13 120 38 PCA Young Player of the Year 2009 Leicestershire 7 27 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 2010 Middlesex 36 69 21 2011 * Yorkshire 100 107 80 2012 * Yorkshire 195 32 PCA Young Player of the Year 2013 * Durham 43 PCA Young Player of the Year 2014 * Yorkshire 10 0 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 2015 * Yorkshire 0 0 0 2016 * Northamptonshire 49 40 21 PCA Player of the YearPCA Young Player of the Year 2017 * Essex 17 0 0 2018 * Surrey 24 44 80 2019 * Somerset 0 10 43 PCA Young Player of the Year 2020 * Kent 64 0 Wisden Cricketer of the YearPCA Young Player of the Year 2021 * Yorkshire 41 PCA Young Player of the Year 2022 * Kent 4 4 9 2023 * Somerset 1 0 0 PCA Young Player of the Year 2024 * Somerset 21 0 0 2025 * Leicestershire 5 11 14 PCA Young Player of the Year

See also Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year for best young Australian cricketer

Notes

References General

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