Yorkshire Debutant Spins His Way To Liverpool Victoria PCA Award – 04/08/2006 Chris Read may have captured the cricket headlines as his performances earned him an England recall, and Justin Langer may have smashed his way to an innings of 342 – but it is young Yorkshire spinner Adil Rashid who eclipsed them all to take the Liverpool Victoria PCA Player of the Month award for July. The 18-year-old leg spinner became the first Yorkshire-born cricketer of Pakistani origin to play first-class cricket for his county in the match against Warwickshire at Scarborough. He was brought into the attack just before lunch on day one with Warwickshire cruising at 85 for one, helped remove the visitors for 201 and then, batting at number seven, played his part in the home side’s first innings total of 536. However, it was in the second innings where the young spinner really made his mark, capturing six wickets for just 67 runs as Yorkshire won the match by an innings and 96 runs and maintained their battle to keep away from the two relegation places at the foot of Liverpool Victoria County Championship Division One. Rashid was pushed all the way to the Player of the Month award by Langer – thanks to that 342 innings for Division Two bottom club Somerset – and by Derbyshire’s 23-year-old all-rounder Graham Wagg who collected six wickets for 38 runs against Somerset to keep his side’s promotion push on track. However, it is Rashid who will receive the £ 750 cheque from County Championship sponsors Liverpool Victoria as the fourth winner of the 2006 awards. The best performances in the Liverpool Victoria County Championship are nominated each month by a panel including county PCA representatives plus ex-England bowler Gladstone Small and England Chairman of Selectors David Graveney.
