Player Performance

With the season done it is time to assess how the individual members of the Warwickshire squad have performed in the championship and to hand out some purely nominal "Raggy Bear Player of the Season Awards".

Best Batting: Tony Frost
Statistically Jonathan Trott is the best batsman this season with 1240 runs @62.00, he has started to get back to his best after a torrid season last year. However my award goes to Tony Frost for his 1003 runs @83.58.

There are two reasons for this; one is due to expectations. Frost was recalled to the team from retirement and not many people expected him to make such a significant contribution. That he has outperformed batsmen such as Ambrose, Maddy, Westwood, Troughton and Powell among others, despite being out of the first class for a year and keeping wicket for a number of matches says it all.

The second reason is for when he made telling contributions. For me one of the most important knocks of the season was the 46 not out he made in the first match of the season against Worcestershire to save the game. This helped turn around the mood of gloom at Edgbaston and prove to the supporters, and likely the team themselves, that they had a spine. His career best 242* against Essex in the penultimate match of the season was a stunning innings and helped to set up the win that propelled Warwickshire to promotion and the title.

Best Bowling: Chris Woakes
At 19 years of age and with 42 wickets @20.57 there could not really be any other choise. He has made giant strides forward in every aspect of his game and is now a seriously exciting prospect. It is possible, had he not been called away for England U-19 duty that he could have topped the division averages. He ended the season on the perfect note by taking his first ten wicket haul (as well as a career best innings analysis of 6/68) in the win over Glamorgan.

Other notable performances:
Ian Salisbury - has been a revelation with his leg spin and solid lower order batting.
Neil Carter - has rediscovered some of his old zip and was only just pipped by Woakes as leading wicket taker