Van Jaarsveld takes top PCA award

Van Jaarsveld hit four Championship centuries

Kent batsman Martin van Jaarsveld has been named the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) Player of the Year.

He helped Kent to both one-day finals and hit more than 1,000 Championship runs, but could not prevent his side being relegated to Division Two.

Essex all-rounder Ravi Bopara, left out of England's Test tour of India, was named Young Player of the Year.

The ECB Special Award went to Mark Ramprakash after the batsman reached the 100 hundreds landmark this summer.

Darren Gough and Graeme Hick, who both retired at the end of the season, received PCA Special Merit Awards.

Van Jaarsveld, 34, hit four Championship centuries, but was particularly prolific in the Friends Provident Trophy, hitting four centuries and 660 runs in just nine innings as Kent reached the final, ultimately losing to Essex.

606: DEBATE

Van Jaarsveld's fielding was exemplary, especially for a man of his age. Bowling becoming more and more useful. Outstanding season

justaboutkent

He also helped his county to Twenty20 finals day, though they were unable to defend their title, losing to Middlesex in the final.

Bopara, who was also named Young Cricketer of the Year by the Cricket Writers' Club, had a Championship batting average of 64 and hit an unbeaten 201 against Leicestershire in the Friends Provident Trophy.

Other winners:

MCC Spirit of Cricket Moment 2008: Matt Prior (Sussex)

PCA Special Merit Award 2008: Darren Gough (Yorkshire) & Graeme Hick (Worcestershire)

PCA Umpire of the Year: Neil Mallender

Sky Sport Sixes League 2008: Graham Napier (Essex)

Most Valuable Player Awards

Twenty20 MVP 2008: Graham Napier

LV County Championship MVP 2008: Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire)

Friends Provident Trophy MVP 2008: Martin van Jaarsveld

NatWest Pro40 MVP 2008: Steve Davies (Worcestershire)

PCA MVP 2008: Martin van Jaarsveld

Team of the Year: Marcus Trescothick (Somerset), Joe Denly (Kent), Mark Ramprakash (Surrey), Martin Van Jaarsveld (Kent), Ravi Bopara (Essex), Samit Patel (Nottinghamshire), Dimitri Mascarenhas (Hampshire), James Foster (Essex), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Tim Murtagh (Middlesex), Steve Harmison (Durham)