Sport Story

05 July 2009 03:40 BST

Van Jaarsveld and Bopara take PCA honours

LV County Championship stars Martin van Jaarsveld and Ravi Bopara have won the top honours at the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) awards.

Kent batsman Van Jaarsveld was named as player of the year, while Essex all-rounder Bopara picked up the young player of the year award.

South African Van Jaarsveld, 34, hit ten centuries for Kent in Division One this season from the middle order, and is also named at four in the PCA team of the year.

Bopara, 23, missed out on England's 15-man squad for the winter tests in India, but tonight's award – handed out at a glittering ceremony at Old Billingsgate, London – will offer some consolation.

Van Jaarsveld follows in the footsteps of Ottis Gibson, Mark Ramprakash, Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan in winning player of the year, while previous winners of the young player of the year award include current England regulars Alastair Cook and Ian Bell.

PCA awards 2008:

Player of the year 2008
Martin van Jaarsveld (Kent)

Young player of the year 2008
Ravi Bopara (Essex)

ECB special award
Mark Ramprakash

MCC spirit of cricket moment 2008
Matt Prior

PCA special merit award 2008
Darren Gough & Graeme Hick

PCA umpire of the year
Neil Mallender

Team of the year
1 Marcus Trescothick
2 Joe Denly
3 Mark Ramprakash
4 Martin Van Jaarsveld
5 Ravi Bopara
6 Samit Patel
7 Dimitri Mascarenhas
8 James Foster
9 Tim Bresnan
10 Tim Murtagh
11 Steve Harmison