Somerset enjoyed a memorable night at the 2026 PCA Awards as Craig Overton and Sophie Luff claimed the two headline Player of the Year prizes at Exhibition White City in London.
Overton was named the Toyota PCA Men’s Player of the Year, while Somerset captain Luff secured the Toyota PCA Women’s Player of the Year award after both were voted the outstanding performers of the year by their fellow professional cricketers.
The ceremony on Wednesday, September 30, celebrated the leading performers across domestic and international cricket, with England youngsters Sonny Baker and Tilly Corteen-Coleman also recognised after breakthrough seasons.
For Somerset, however, the evening belonged to Overton and Luff.
Overton completes remarkable awards quadruple
Overton’s main Player of the Year prize capped an exceptional campaign in which the 32 year old developed into one of the most influential all rounders in English domestic cricket.
Across all three domestic formats, he accumulated 951 runs, 76 wickets and 45 catches, combining consistent bowling performances with a dramatic improvement in his batting.
His performances had already earned him the PCA Men’s Domestic Overall MVP title and the Rothesay County Championship Player of the Year award before Wednesday’s ceremony.
Overton was also selected in the IG PCA Men’s Team of the Year, meaning his Player of the Year victory completed an impressive four award haul.
It is the first time a Somerset player has won the PCA Men’s Player of the Year award since Nick Compton in 2012.
Overton beat Nottinghamshire batter Joe Clarke, Yorkshire all rounder George Hill and Surrey and England’s Dan Lawrence to the prize.
Being selected by fellow players made the achievement particularly meaningful for the Somerset all rounder, who described the recognition from his peers as extremely special.
His numbers explain why he attracted so much support.
Overton began 2026 with only one first class century in his career but added three more hundreds during the season, significantly increasing his contribution with the bat.
One of his standout performances came against Sussex, where he scored 111 from 137 deliveries while also returning match bowling figures of 5-37.
Against eventual County Championship champions Warwickshire, another century helped Somerset rescue a draw.
His influence was not restricted to red ball cricket.
Overton produced one of the most memorable innings of the Vitality Blast when Somerset appeared to be in serious trouble during their quarter final against Yorkshire.
He smashed an unbeaten 79 from only 30 balls, transforming the contest and helping Somerset secure their place at Finals Day.
Those performances allowed Overton to finish the domestic season with 680.08 MVP points, well clear at the top of the PCA’s overall rankings.
Luff rewarded for outstanding Somerset season
Somerset’s celebrations continued when Sophie Luff was announced as the Women’s Player of the Year.
The 32 year old captain beat Maia Bouchier, Sophia Dunkley and Mady Villiers after a season in which she produced consistently strong performances across domestic competitions.
Luff scored more than 1,000 runs during the summer, including 536 in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
She also registered more than 500 runs across The Hundred and Vitality Blast combined and played an important role as Trent Rockets won The Hundred.
Her performances also earned her selection in the Metro Bank PCA Women’s Team of the Year.
The award carried additional significance because Luff became the first winner of the Women’s Player of the Year prize since Eve Jones in 2021 who had not played international cricket during the season.
Luff said receiving recognition from her fellow professionals was particularly rewarding and viewed the award as confirmation that her performances and leadership had made a significant impact.
She has established herself as one of the leading figures in Somerset’s women’s setup, combining captaincy responsibilities with consistent run scoring.
Her success alongside Overton also produced a rare Somerset double at the PCA’s biggest annual awards ceremony.
Baker named Men’s Young Player of the Year
The evening also recognised the next generation of English cricket talent.
Hampshire fast bowler Sonny Baker won the Toyota PCA Men’s Young Player of the Year award following a breakthrough campaign that eventually led to international recognition.
The 21 year old made his Test debut for England against New Zealand at the Kia Oval and collected 10 international wickets during the season, including six in T20 internationals.
Baker also became the first Hampshire player to win the PCA Men’s Young Player award since the honour was introduced in 1990.
His domestic performances included an historic showing in the Vitality Blast final, where he became the first bowler to take five wickets in the men’s final.
Baker beat Essex’s Charlie Allison and Middlesex prospect Naavya Sharma to the award.
Corteen-Coleman earns women’s young player honour
Surrey left arm spinner Tilly Corteen Coleman was named the Toyota PCA Women’s Young Player of the Year.
The teenager continued her rapid development during 2026, earning both ODI and T20 international debuts for England while also impressing for Surrey and Southern Brave.
She secured the prize ahead of Essex’s Jodi Grewcock and The Blaze bowler Charley Phillips.
Her award underlined the growing strength of England’s young player pathway, with both Baker and Corteen Coleman already progressing from domestic cricket into senior international squads.
Knight and Beaumont recognised for distinguished careers
Two experienced England stars were also honoured for their wider contributions to the sport.
Former England captain Heather Knight received the PCA Outstanding Contribution Award in recognition of her long-standing impact on English cricket.
Knight has been one of the most influential figures in the women’s game during her career, both as a player and during her lengthy period as England captain.
Former England opener Tammy Beaumont received the ECB Special Merit Award following the conclusion of her international career.
The ceremony also recognised Ian Blackwell as the PCA Umpire of the Year in the men’s game, while Gabi Brown collected the corresponding women’s award.
Other competition-specific winners during the season included Joe Root as ODI Men’s Player of the Summer, Harry Brook as IT20 Men’s Player of the Summer, Ollie Robinson as Men’s Test Player of the Summer and Freya Kemp as Women’s IT20 Player of the Summer.
A special night for Somerset
Although the PCA Awards celebrated achievements from across English cricket, Somerset emerged as the major success story from the headline categories.
Overton’s transformation into a genuine multi format all rounder resulted in one of the most decorated individual domestic seasons of 2026.
Luff’s consistency and leadership, meanwhile, proved equally valuable in the women’s game.
Both awards carry additional prestige because the main Player of the Year prizes are determined through voting by fellow professionals rather than solely by statistics.
For Overton and Luff, that made Wednesday evening recognition from the players they compete alongside and against throughout the season.
Somerset therefore left Exhibition White City with both of English cricket’s biggest individual PCA honours, as Craig Overton and Sophie Luff capped outstanding 2026 campaigns by being voted the leading men’s and women’s players of the year.
