Nottinghamshire seamer Luke Fletcher has won the coveted Cricket Writers’ Club LV= Insurance County Championship player of the year.

Fletcher was the leading wicket taker in the County Championship this season, spearheading Nottinghamshire’s charge for the title with 66 wickets at a miserly average of 14.9 while maintaining an economy rate of a mere 2.33.

No one bettered the 33-year-old’s tally of four five-wicket hauls and he also took 10 wickets in a match against Worcestershire in May. 

“You don’t go into a season thinking you are going to win awards like that,” Fletcher said. “Thank you to everyone who voted.”

After an injury-hit 2020 where he didn’t play a four-day match, Fletcher, in the final year of his contract before assigning an extension, was keen to get the most out of the season: “It probably took all the pressure off me and I went into the season wanting to enjoy it. I’ve never taken 50 wickets before, so to take 66 is insane really.”

The accolade adds to Fletcher’s cinch PCA County Championship Player of the Year and Nottinghamshire Player of the Year awards, as well as his inclusion in both the PCA and Wisden County Championship Teams of the Year.

Any player from any county is eligible for the award, and is voted on by Cricket Writers’ Club members. Previous winners including Alastair Cook, Simon Harmer and Jonny Bairstow.