Dean Named on Women’s Young Player of the Year Award Shortlist

The shortlists for the first ever cinch PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year award has been announced, recognising the outstanding performers across the international and domestic game.

Southern Vipers’ Charlie Dean is named among the shortlist alongside 17 year old Alice Capsey and Southern Brave batter Sophia Dunkley.

Following the introduction of 41 new female members to the PCA, the cinch PCA Women’s Player of the Year award has been opened up to include domestic players for the very first time. The shortlisted candidates are evenly split between international and domestic cricket, with Sophia Dunkley, Danielle Gibson, Eve Jones and Nat Sciver all in contention for the award.

England Test captain Joe Root headlines the candidates for the cinch PCA Men’s Player of the Year award - he is shortlisted alongside David Bedingham, Luke Fletcher and Simon Harmer, who was also shortlisted in both 2019 and 2020.

As with the women’s award, the cinch PCA Young Men’s Player of the Year sees three individuals shortlisted, with Harry Brook, Sam Cook and Tom Haines up for this season’s award.

In the absence of an in-person event, the cinch PCA Awards are being announced virtually throughout the final stages of the 2021 domestic season, with a number of the competition award winners having already been revealed.  

Tuesday 28 September will see the finale of the cinch PCA Awards with the four headline award winners being announced live on Sky Sports during lunch on the opening day of the Bob Willis Trophy final.

cinch PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year - Shortlist

Alice Capsey (Oval Invincibles/South East Stars)

At just 17 years of age, Capsey is the youngest player shortlisted for any of the main four cinch PCA Awards this season.

The bowling all-rounder has enjoyed a sensational breakthrough season for both South East Stars and Oval Invincibles, helping the latter all the way to victory at Lord’s in the first edition of The Hundred. In that tournament, Capsey took 10 wickets in just 135 balls, whilst also bowling with an economy of just 4.52 - the fourth best figure in the competition despite often bowling at the top of the innings. With the bat in hand, Capsey has done particularly well in the Charlotte Edwards Cup where she accumulated 203 runs at an average of 40.6.

Charlie Dean (England/London Spirit/Southern Vipers)

A dream season for 20-year-old Dean culminated with her recent debut for England and subsequently her first wickets at international level during the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand.

Dean earned her call-up by regularly being a thorn in the side of batting line-ups across all three domestic women’s competitions this season. The off-spinner has taken a combined 23 wickets in domestic T20 and List A cricket in 2021, notably returning figures of 5-19 against Central Sparks in the Charlotte Edwards Cup - her first five-fer at senior level.

Sophia Dunkley (England/South East Stars/Southern Brave)

Dunkley has been one of the stars of a huge year for women’s cricket which saw the introduction of 41 female domestic pros into the PCA as well as the establishment of two new competitions: The Hundred and the Charlotte Edwards Cup.

The all-rounder has played in all 12 of England’s games this summer to date and was the sixth highest ranked English player in the women’s Hundred MVP. Her impressive performances in the debut tournament saw her score 244 runs at 40.7 as Southern Brave went all the way to the Lord’s final. Dunkley also made 196 runs in her three Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy appearances, including 104 not out against Sunrisers - her third List A century.