Surrey’s wicket keeper batsman Jamie Smith was the big winner at the Club’s End of Season Awards ceremony at The Kia Oval on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Surrey Academy graduate took home five prizes including three of the biggest awards on the night; Members’ Player of the Year, Supporters’ Club Player of the Year & Players’ Player of the Year.
Smith was a regular across all three formats and captained Surrey for much of the Royal London Cup, guiding the Club to a semi-final before losing to eventual runners-up Durham. He was also named Supporters’ Club Young Player of the Year and Kia Young Player of the Year.
All-rounder Alice Capsey was the biggest winner from the Surrey Women side, taking the Members’ Player and Supporters’ Club Ann-Millington Jones Player awards while leg spinner Danielle Gregory received the award picked by the coaching staff.
Back on the men’s side, the Kia awards for batsman & bowler of the year went to Ollie Pope & Jordan Clark respectively. Pope was the mainstay of the batting lineup in the early weeks of the season before England’s Test summer began while Clark has led the attack in both LV= County Championship and Vitality Blast campaigns. The Academy Player of the Year is right arm pace bowler and lower order batter Nathan Barnwell, who played for England U19s in their ODI series with West Indies and made several appearances for Surrey’s 2nd XI.
The Kia Most Improved Player of the Year is Gus Atkinson, who took the new ball in T20 cricket and featured often in the LV= County Championship while Ryan Patel received the award from the Supporters’ Club.
The Sylvester Clarke Large Rum Moment of the Year, celebrating the best 1st XI moment, also went to Ryan Patel for his destructive 131 off 70 balls as Surrey made 311 from 30 overs in a rain-affected Royal London Cup match against Nottinghamshire at Guildford. The equivalent award for the 2nd XI went to Will Jacks, who smashed 68 from 28 balls as Surrey chased down Essex’s 145 in just 11.5 overs.
Completing the awards was the Graham Kersey Team Man of the Year, given to the member of staff deemed to have gone above and beyond, which was this year shared by the physiotherapy team of Alex Tysoe & Paul Steele.
Presented by Mark Church, the voice of Surrey Cricket on BBC radio and the Club’s live stream, the evening included a number of question & answer sessions with senior figures including Director of Cricket Alec Stewart, Head Coach Vikram Solanki and Regional Director of Women’s Cricket Richard Bedbrook.
The evening, in the Duchy Suite of the new Galadari Stand at The Kia Oval, was also an opportunity to celebrate the long and decorated Surrey careers of Rikki Clarke & Jade Dernbach, who will both leave The Kia Oval at the end of the season. Videos from the evening will be shared on the Club’s channels over the coming weeks.
The 2021 End of Season Awards winners in full:
Academy Player of the Year – Nathan Barnwell
Most Improved Player of the Year – Gus Atkinson
Graham Kersey Team Man of the Year – Alex Tysoe/Paul Steele
Supporters’ Club Anne Bickerstaff 2nd XI Moment – Will Jacks’ 68 from 28 v Essex in T20
Supporters’ Club Sylvester Clarke Large Rum Moment – Ryan Patel’s 131 v Nottinghamshire in the Royal London Cup
Supporters’ Club Young Player of the Year – Jamie Smith
Supporters’ Club Ann-Millington-Jones Women’s Player – Alice Capsey
Supporters’ Club Most Improved Player of the Year – Ryan Patel
Supporters’ Club Player of the Year – Jamie Smith
Surrey Women Player of the Year – Danielle Gregory
Kia Young Player of the Year – Jamie Smith
Kia Bowler of the Year – Jordan Clark
Kia Batsman of the Year – Ollie Pope
Members’ Player of the Year – Women – Alice Capsey
Members’ Player of the Year – Men – Jamie Smith
Players’ Player of the Year – Jamie Smith
