PCA Awards 2026: Somerset Stars Steal the Show

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Somerset's Craig Overton and Sophie Luff won the top honors at the PCA Awards, while Sonny Baker and Tilly Corteen-Coleman took the young player awards. Here's the full story.

### The Big Night in West London What a night it was. The Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) Awards brought together the best of the best at a dinner in West London on Wednesday. And when the envelopes were opened, two Somerset teammates walked away with the biggest prizes. Craig Overton and Sophie Luff were named Men's and Women's Player of the Year, respectively. It's not every day you see a county sweep the top honors, but Somerset did just that. ### Overton's Remarkable Season Let's talk about Craig Overton's year. The guy was an absolute machine. He scored 734 runs in the County Championship, including three centuries, and took 53 wickets. That's the kind of all-round performance that makes selectors sit up and take notice. He also produced a moment of magic in the Blast quarter-final against Yorkshire at Headingley, smashing an unbeaten 79 off just 30 balls to send Somerset to Finals Day. Then he helped Trent Rockets reach the Hundred final. "It's a phenomenal feeling," Overton said. Despite not playing international cricket since 2022, he's clearly still got plenty left in the tank. ### Sophie Luff: A Captain's Knock Sophie Luff's story is one of reinvention. The Somerset captain moved up to open the batting this year and finished as the club's top run-scorer in both the T20 Blast and the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. She played every game for Trent Rockets as they won the women's Hundred for the first time. Luff is the first uncapped player to win the women's award since Eve Jones in 2021. She credits her new role at the top of the order for unlocking something special. "I've really enjoyed the challenge," she said. ### Young Guns Shine Bright Sonny Baker and Tilly Corteen-Coleman took home the Young Player awards, and their futures look incredibly bright. - **Sonny Baker**: The Somerset academy product made his Test debut for England at The Oval and played in the recent T20I series against Sri Lanka. In the Blast, he took 21 wickets for Hampshire, including five-wicket hauls in both the quarter-final and the final. He then won the Hundred with Manchester Super Giants. "I've dreamed of this since I was 11," Baker said. - **Tilly Corteen-Coleman**: A 19-year-old left-arm spinner from Surrey, she made her England debuts in ODI and T20I cricket this summer. She finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Hundred. Her goal? To complete her set of international caps by playing a Test at Headingley in next summer's Ashes series. She's also eyeing a spot in the red-ball camp ahead of 2027. ### Special Recognition Heather Knight, who retired from international cricket this summer, received the PCA Outstanding Contribution award. She previously served as the association's vice-chair. Her former England teammate Tammy Beaumont received the ECB Special Merit award. Toyota sponsored the awards, and PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell called the event the most prestigious awards ceremony in cricket. "It lets the game finish the year by recognising its players," he said. ### Full List of Winners - **Men's Player of the Year**: Craig Overton (shortlisted: Joe Clarke, George Hill, Dan Lawrence) - **Women's Player of the Year**: Sophie Luff (shortlisted: Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley, Mady Villiers) - **Men's Young Player of the Year**: Sonny Baker (shortlisted: Charlie Allison, Naavya Sharma) - **Women's Young Player of the Year**: Tilly Corteen-Coleman (shortlisted: Jodi Grewcock, Charley Phillips) - **Outstanding Contribution**: Heather Knight - **ECB Special Merit**: Tammy Beaumont - **Umpire of the Year**: Ian Blackwell (men's) and Gabi Brown (women's) For more cricket news and updates, visit JeetWin Blog!

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