The 2024 County Championship season concluded on Sunday afternoon, with handshakes exchanged as early as etiquette allowed, while autumn's chill set in. This season marked the longest in Championship history, spanning from April 5 to September 29. Surrey, the favorites, secured victory with one round remaining, while Sussex clinched Division Two on the final day, with a thousand supporters braving the cold to witness Clare Connor present the trophy.
However, the cricket world moves swiftly. Rod Bransgrove announced the sale of Hampshire to the Delhi Capitals before the season's trophies could be properly celebrated. Amidst the power plays in mahogany boardrooms, here are the summer's County Championship awards.
To James Bracey. A remarkable match at Cheltenham College in early July concluded with Glamorgan, chasing a world record 593 to win, facing the last ball needing just a single. Jamie McIlroy swung wildly at Ajeet Singh Dale, and Bracey, with an ungloved hand, leaped to catch the ball, then sprinted 50 yards to the boundary in jubilation, his teammates cheering behind him. A memorable tie indeed.
To Jamie Smith, whose talent has been whispered about at the Oval since his teenage years. He finally made his England Test debut against West Indies in July after Jonny Bairstow's departure. Though not as elegant as his Surrey teammate Ben Foakes, Smith was remarkably composed and his batting was princely. He and Gus Atkinson made the Championship seem like a breeding ground for five-day cricket.
To Jamie Porter and Ben Coad, who navigated various Kookaburra experiments to finish with 56 wickets each, leading the wicket charts in Divisions One and Two respectively. At 31 and 30, neither seems likely to be picked by England, but at Championship level, they are indispensable to Essex and Yorkshire.
To Batgate. Essex were docked 12 points after Feroze Khushi was found using an oversized bat during a spot check. Following Durham's 10-point deduction in 2022 for a similar issue, it appears this rule is straightforward to enforce.
To Liam Dawson, who won the Professional Cricketers' Association's most valuable domestic player award last year and excelled further in 2024, taking 50 wickets for the first time and scoring 956 runs at nearly 60. He helped Hampshire through many challenges and secured second place in the Championship. Despite his achievements, England overlooked him, but Dawson seems content with being passed over for Jack Leach, Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley.
To Louis Kimber. Leicestershire seemed destined for a routine defeat against Sussex in June when Kimber, with a batting average of 24, strode out at No 8. But something extraordinary happened at Hove that day. Kimber smashed 243 off 127 balls, including 20 fours and 21 sixes, taking 43 from one Ollie Robinson over. Records fell: fastest 200 in Championship history (100 balls), most sixes in a Championship innings (surpassing Ben Stokes's 17), most runs before lunch in a Championship match (191), all while wearing a thick long-sleeved jumper in June.
To Gareth Roderick's century at Canterbury. A week after the tragic death of Worcestershire all-rounder Josh Baker, his teammates played on at Canterbury, with the Frank Woolley pavilion flags at half mast. After a minute's applause in Baker's memory, Worcestershire batted. Roderick, despite the circumstances, scored 117 before stumps on day one, celebrating his century by tapping the 33 embroidered on the players' shirts (Baker's squad number). Worcestershire defied the odds to avoid relegation and retired shirt 33 in Baker's memory.
To Lancashire, narrowly edged out by three Test counties. Warwickshire, where Mark Robinson may move on, Nottinghamshire, who found their footing as autumn approached, and relegated Lancashire. At Old Trafford, a combination of senior pros struggling, overseas imports failing, Nathan Lyon returning early to Cricket Australia, and a youthful side led to relegation. Lancashire lost four games by an innings and gained only 15 batting points. The three points earned in the draw with Worcestershire in the final game were lost due to a slow over rate. Time to regroup for next year.
A joint award to the England and Wales Cricket Board, which continues to marginalize the Championship, and fossil fuel companies, whose climate crisis exacerbation makes groundstaff jobs nearly impossible and threatens the game's future.
