Alex Hales, Chris Rushworth, Tom Curran and Jonny Bairstow have all made significant impacts in 2015
22 September 2015
Last updated at
10:30
This summer, BBC Sport has again broadcast live commentary on every day’s play of every match in the county season.
It has been a summer that has seen
Yorkshire retain the County Championship,
their Roses rivals
Lancashire lift the T20 Blast trophy
for the first time and Gloucestershire roll back the years to their glory days of just over a decade ago by
winning a thrilling One-Day Cup final.
We asked BBC local radio commentators to nominate players for the 2015 county Team of the Season.
Kent batsman Sam Northeast, Warwickshire pair Rikki Clarke and Jeetan Patel and Derbyshire paceman Mark Footitt were among those unlucky to miss out, but here is the final XI.
Let us know your choices for Team of the Season using the form on this page, or via Twitter, using #bbccricket.
More from cricket
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Jones ‘dared to dream’ of Glos win
1. ALEX HALES (Nottinghamshire)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
892, 49.56 (3×100, HS 236)*
2*
One-Day Cup
401, 44.56 (1×100, HS 103)
5
T20 Blast
283, 31.44 (HS 86no)
3
“After making his name as a prodigious white-ball biffer, Alex Hales’ determination to prove himself in the first-class arena has delivered rich dividends in 2015.
“Three scores over 180, including a career-best 236 against champions Yorkshire, have taken the 26-year-old beyond 1,000 runs in all competitions for the second season in a row, a staggering about-turn after a miserable 2013 which saw him dropped to the seconds with an average of just 13.
“His dedication to improve his all-round game has now been rewarded with a call-up to England’s Test squad for the first time.
“On his day, there are few better players to watch and it’s heartening to find both the international selectors and the county broadcasters arriving on the same page at the same time.”
By BBC Radio Nottingham’s Dave Bracegirdle
2. MICHAEL KLINGER (Gloucestershire)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
468, 46.80 (2×100, HS 103)*
5*
One-Day Cup
531, 106.20 (3×100, HS 137no)
6
T20 Blast
654, 81.75 (3×100, HS 126no)
1
“Michael Klinger has not only scored big runs in all formats, but his leadership as he moves forward a highly promising group has been superb.
“His strength at the crease centres around an ability to read the match situation and to adapt accordingly.
“He can play the audacious shots when necessary, but he likes nothing better than to build an innings and bat all day.
“And what an attitude – he commuted back from Western Australia to play in the One-Day Cup semi-final against Yorkshire when he needn’t have done so and scored yet another match-winning century.”
By BBC Radio Gloucestershire’s Bob Hunt
3. ASHWELL PRINCE (Lancashire)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
1,427, 67.95 (5×100, HS 261)*
13*
One-Day Cup
236, 39.33 (1×100, HS 102)
6
T20 Blast
455, 30.33 (HS 78)
12
“Ashwell Prince is a fierce competitor, a wonderful batsman and has played a significant role in helping Lancashire clinch promotion in the County Championship and win the T20 Blast trophy.
“To be the country’s leading run-scorer in his final season as a cricketer speaks volumes for his skill, drive and determination to succeed even at the very end of his career.
“This season, Prince has shown all of his international class, which saw him capped 119 times across all formats by South Africa, with fight and flair in equal measure.
“His contribution has been as strong and as significant as in any of his previous five seasons at Old Trafford.”
By BBC Radio Lancashire’s Scott Read
4. JAMES HILDRETH (Somerset)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
1,272, 53.00 (2×100, HS 220no)*
7*
One-Day Cup
217, 43.40 (HS 85no)
3
T20 Blast
226, 25.11 (HS 51)
3
“James Hildreth is never less than a joy to watch – fluency personified, always looking to pierce the field or find the gaps with those steel-wired wrists and natural sense of timing.
“But this season it has been the volume of his runs as much as the style of them which has rightly earned him his place in this list.
“With the rest of the Somerset middle-order desperately short of runs, there have been times when he’s seemed like the boy on the burning deck, with disaster all around.
“The only thing that divides opinion in Somerset is his beard, but after a season like this one, we’ll forgive him even that.”
By BBC Somerset’s Anthony Gibson
5. LUKE WRIGHT (Sussex)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
1,187, 49.46 (2×100, HS 226no)*
11*
One-Day Cup
226, 45.20 (HS 72)
1
T20 Blast
564, 51.27 (1×100, 111no)
6
“Cricket fans across the globe will know about Luke Wright’s record in white-ball cricket, be it in the IPL, the Big Bash or during his 100-plus appearances for England.
“Less well-known is that Wright also has a good record in red-ball cricket, in which he averages over 40.
“This season he has scored over 1,000 Championship runs for the first time, including a career-best 226, an innings in which he took 23 balls to get off the mark.”
By BBC Sussex’s Adrian Harms
6. JONNY BAIRSTOW (Yorkshire)
Competition
Runs, average
Catches, stumpings
Championship
1,071, 107.10 (5×100, HS 219no)*
23*
One-Day Cup
53, 26.50 (HS 34)
1
T20 Blast
320, 32.00 (HS 92)
9, 1
“This has been a memorable season for Jonny Bairstow, who raced to 1,000 runs in the first-class game, averaging over 100.
“At one stage of the season he had contributed 25% of Yorkshire’s overall runs, and when called up by England for the one-day decider against New Zealand at Durham, he produced a match-winning innings.
“Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie has had this to say about Bairstow: ‘To use the phrase ‘form of his life’ is suitable to describe the season for JB.
“‘He has come on really well as a wicketkeeper and with a series of stunning performances with the bat he has played a great part in helping us to back-to-back titles. He has proved this year that he is a special talent.'”
By BBC Radio Leeds’ Dave Callaghan
7. ZAFAR ANSARI (Surrey)
Competition
Runs, average
Wickets, average
Catches
Championship
771, 36.71 (1×100, HS 106)*
44, 30.98 (BB 6-30)*
8*
One-Day Cup
216, 54.00 (HS 66 no)
10, 25.30 (BB 3-58)
3
T20 Blast
201, 40.20 (HS 67no)
8, 25.60 (BB 3-17)
6
“Zafar Ansari’s inclusion in the England Test squad for the winter series against Pakistan was richly deserved, although a thumb injury has cast doubt on his involvement.
“In taking more than 40 wickets with his left-arm spin, Ansari has bowled with great skill and control and has worked really well in tandem with Gareth Batty.
“With the bat, Ansari has scored more than 700 Championship runs at the top of the order, but he also averaged more than 40 in the T20 Blast.
“His bowling and batting were also a key component in Surrey’s journey to Lord’s for the One-Day Cup final, which sadly he missed because of his injury.”
By BBC London 94.9’s Mark Church
8. JAMES HARRIS (Middlesex)
Competition
Wickets, average
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
69, 24.55 (BB 9-34)*
455, 25.28 (HS 73)*
3*
One-Day Cup
9, 24.22 (BB 4-38)
66, 22.00 (HS 32)
1
T20 Blast
6, 31.33 (BB 3-39)
7, 3.50 (HS 6)
0
“The Middlesex pace bowler skittled Durham almost single-handedly at Lord’s early in May, in a display which in one half-hour saw five wickets fall for just nine runs.
“Starting with a bang, Harris has been relentless all season, second only to Chris Rushworth in the total wickets tally in Division One, and his recent five-for against champions Yorkshire gave further evidence that he can mix with the best of them.
“It’s a far cry from last year when he found himself unable to feature regularly in the Championship side, and was sent back on loan to his old club Glamorgan to get overs under his belt.
“At only 25, and with the ability to score crucial lower-order runs, if Harris continues to mature at the rate he currently is, further honours may well follow.”
By BBC Sport’s Isabelle Westbury
9. TOM CURRAN (Surrey)
Competition
Wickets, average
Runs, average
Catches
Championship
66, 23.91 (BB 7-20)*
284, 18.93 (HS 60)*
3*
One-Day Cup
15, 31.27 (BB 4-65)
124, 24.80 (HS 44)
1
T20 Blast
14, 28.71 (BB 4-35)
90, 15.00 (HS 41)
7
“Tom Curran has been outstanding for Surrey this season. With more than 60 Championship wickets at an average of just 24, he has led the attack and delivered for the team on a consistent basis.
“At times he has simply destroyed top-order batsmen with his pace and movement, and with the white ball he has also shown tremendous skill and a very cool head for one so young.
“With the bat he has made valuable runs in all forms of the game and has shown he is a genuine all-rounder.
“Curran has only missed one game this season when he was rested for a T20 match and has bowled nearly 500 overs in Championship cricket. How he was not included in the England Lions T20 squad for the winter is quite beyond me.”
By BBC London 94.9’s Mark Church
10. JACK BROOKS (Yorkshire)
Competition
Wickets, average
Catches
Championship
59, 23.49 (BB 5-35)*
4*
One-Day Cup
3, 32.00 (BB 3-40)
0
“This Rambo bandanaman, headhunted by Yorkshire in 2012, is a dead-cert consistent wicket-taker in first-class cricket and shows real class with the new ball.
“His pace is not in vogue with the England selectors, but his full-length attacking attitude and nagging accuracy should not be underestimated.
“After 68 Championship wickets last season, Brooks has also proved he is no one-season wonder and will again be a key figure as Yorkshire target a third successive title in 2016.”
By BBC Sport’s Isabelle Duncan
11. CHRIS RUSHWORTH (Durham)
Competition
Wickets, average
Catches
Championship
83, 20.61 (BB 6-39)
6
One-Day Cup
9, 36.89 (BB 4-41)
2
T20 Blast
8, 30.12 (BB 2-13)
3
“Despite being overlooked for England at any level this season, Chris Rushworth has carried on regardless, doing what he does best, which is taking wickets.
“He goes from strength to strength year on year and has again bowled more overs than anyone else in the country – having done the same last year as well.
“He’s difficult for batsmen to get away because of the way he moves the ball around. And those who think he only gets his wickets at home – think again.
“Of his 83 Championship wickets, 41 were taken at Chester-le-Street and 42 away. Those northern wickets, eh?”
By BBC Newcastle’s Martin Emmerson
Compiled by Paul Grunill
*Statistics prior to final round of County Championship fixtures
Comments
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Comment number 12. Posted by 00Mike26
on 7 minutes ago
This becomes a pointless exercise in annoying people when done this way. Pick a Championship XI, based on performances in the Championship, where Div 1 performances are massively favoured, then pick a white ball XI, based on performances in T20 and the RL1DC. Otherwise you’re not really pleasing anybody, and no interesting discussion gets generated.
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Comment number 11. Posted by GaryS
on 21 minutes ago
As I pointed out last year there is a massive difference between scoring runs & taking wickets in division one. Yet again it looks like the 2 promoted teams from last season (same happened last season) are going to be relegated. What does that tell you?
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Comment number 10. Posted by simonofsurrey
on 46 minutes ago
#1 – guess that rules out the England Test captain, then.
Irrespective of the Div 2 – to include or not? – argument, the paucity of Yorkshire players in this XI reflects their squad of incredibly strong players across the board. It’s a compliment to their overall strength, rather than a slight against certain individuals.
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Comment number 9. Posted by Kingfisherphil
on 52 minutes ago
Well done BBC what codswallop!
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Comment number 8. Posted by derek colwell
on 1 hour ago
May I point out 2 current England players play for 2nd division teams.And if i remember correctly,Joe Root was first picked when Yorks were in Div 2
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Comment number 7. Posted by KentuckyKid
on 2 hours ago
Which format of the game has this team been picked to play? Looks like a mish-mash.
4 players from Div 2 and only 2 from the County Champions suggests it’s mainly been picked to play limited overs.
Think different teams should have been selected for different formats.
Anyway, thanks for the marvellous season of commentaries. esp. those on R5SX
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Comment number 6. Posted by Suggs
on 2 hours ago
If you want to include Div 2 players then do an article on MVP rather than “best” team. How can you compare the quality of the wickets taken by Curran in the 2nd div vs Sidebottom et al in the 1st?!
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Comment number 5. Posted by Gazzarelio
on 2 hours ago
So Yorkshire closing in on most wins, Most Points and have just done back to back titles only have 2 players in the best county 11 ?. Cannot agree with this at all.
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Comment number 4. Posted by yorkieboycanada
on 2 hours ago
Wow – Only 2 players from champions Yorkshire who not only won again this year but a;so set a new record for points!
What a load of rubbish. Yorkshires second 11 could beat this lot
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Comment number 3. Posted by Reuben
on 2 hours ago
Nothing wrong with including Div 2 players, where is Matt Coles?
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