The last presentation of the 2008 end of season awards was the Rock Lobster Player of the Year Award. As with the Player of the Month Awards, points were awarded by members of the Press who cover all the County’s First Class and one day matches and are allocated according to individual performance throughout the year and totalled up at the end of the season.

This year has seen some great displays in the LV County Championship to gain promotion back into Division One. The team have worked together as a unit but there has to be a player of the Year and in 2008 Kabir Ali took the honours. Although he hasn’t played since taking the maximum ten points at Colchester against Essex on August 20th - 23rd, he consistently took wickets in all forms of the game and especially shone in July where he took 33 points - over double that of the next best that month, Vikram Solanki. Kabir was the leading wicket taker in the LV County Championship on the date of the presentation with 59 wickets - 24 inthe month of July alone.

Jamie Jones and Linda Preston of Rock Lobster Jewellery Store located in Reindeer Court, Worcester, presented the player of the year award to Kabir Ali who ended the season at the top of the table with 74 points, an impressive 16 points ahead of the next Worcestershire player Vikram Solanki who gained 58 points throughout the year.

The Rock Lobster player of the Year award is presented to the player who is awarded the most points by members of the press who cover all the County’s First Class and one day matches and are allocated according to individual performance throughout the year and totalled up at the end of the season.

The leading player in LV County Championship matches receives ten points, second six and third four points. In all other games the winner receives five points, second three and third one point, with the monthly winner being the player with the highest total.

Two players have been outstanding for Worcestershire all season which was shown by the haul of awards they picked up at the end of season presentation - Kabir Ali and Graeme Hick.

But in a year that saw Graeme Hick reach the milestone of 30,000 runs for Worcestershire, become only the 16th player in history to score over 40,000 first class runs as well as overtaking Don Kenyon to become the leading scorer of runs at the county Ground and to add to this a 2007 average of nearly 90 in limited over cricket and 45 in championship cricket this years player of the year award was presented by Jamie Jones and Linda Preston from Rock Lobster Jewellers to Graeme Hick.

About the Rock Lobster Player of the Month Awards

The Rock Lobster player of the month awards are presented to the player who is awarded the most points each month by the press who cover all the County’s First Class and one-day matches.

The leading player in LV County Championship matches receives ten points, second six and third four points. In all other games the winner receives five points, second three and third one point, with the monthly winner being the player with the highest total.

The Rock Lobster Player of the Month winners are presented with a Paul Smith watch by Jamie Jones and Linda Preston from Worcester based Jewellers, Rock Lobster.

The 2007 April/ May award was presented to Graeme Hick who had culminated an impressive lead of 15 points over his Worcestershire team mates. He jumped ahead with key innings in the LV County Championship against Lancashire where he hit 110 and also against Sussex where he hit 108 runs in the 2nd innings; also in the Friends Provident Trophy game against Derbyshire Phantoms he hit 65no.

He was presented with a Paul Smith watch by Jamie and Linda Jones from Worcester based Jewellers, Rock Lobster.

April / May Points Table

June 2007 Award

The June Rock Lobster Player of the Month Award was presented to Graeme Hick. Only four points ahead of team mate and captain Vikram Solanki. Graeme secured 22 points throughout June to place himself top of the table.

Graeme’s June highlights include a stunning 120 against Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the Friends Provident Trophy. In the LV County Championship against Warwickshire he made 49 runs and in doing so surpassed 40,000 first class runs.

On the 25th June at the twenty 20 cup match against Gloucestershire Gladiators, the rain delayed play, when play did finally get under way some hour and half late Worcestershire batted first. With conditions wet under foot the team braved the elements and Graeme scored an impressive 32.

June Points Table

July 2007 Award

Kabir Ali was the July Rock Lobster Player of the Month Award winner. He held off a late surge by Phil Jaques, by 4 points. Throughout July Kabir racked in the points awarded to him by his tight bowling skills. He was awarded five points for taking 3 wickets against Gloucestershire Gladiators and giving away just 26 runs and another five points were awarded to him just two days later on the 3rd July against Somerset Sabres with his impressive 3-18. He gained a further three points in the spectacular game against Warwickshire on the 6th July where he took 2-24 and hit 25 valuable runs towards the end of the innings. He picked four points for his figures of 4-104 in the LVCC match against Surrey in the 1st innings and one point for his 3-30 in the Pro40 Match against Sussex on the 29th July.

July Points Table

August 2007 Award

Gareth Batty received the August Rock Lobster player of the month award. He received ten points for his crucial contribution of  6-125 in the 1st innings and 3-20 in the second innings in the LV County Championship match against Hampshire. Gareth then jumped into the lead with his vital contribution with both ball and bat in the LV County Championship match against Durham. Gareth produced figures of 6-106 in the 1st innings with the ball, and he hit 72 off 85 balls in the second innings of the game.

Gareth Batty and Graeme Hick tied at the top of the points table with 20 points each. So the decision was made to present Gareth Batty with the player of the month award due to his outstanding 6-106 in the first innings of the final game in August against Durham. 

August Points Table

The Rock Lobster player of the year award goes to the player awarded the most points throughout the season. The points are awarded by members of the Press who cover all the County’s First Class and one day matches and are allocated according to individual performance throughout the year and totalled up at the end of the season.

The award will be presented by Jamie Jones and Linda Preston to the  winner of the player of the year award at the presentation day at the end of the season.

The winner and points table will be published on the website after the awards are made at the end of season awards presentation.