SKIPPER Jon Lewis was last night named Durham's Player of the Year at a Test match celebration dinner at the Gosforth Park Hotel.

Lewis, captain since September 2000, was the members' choice after being top run scorer with 1,104 in the championship at an average of 38.06. He also scored 84 in the matches against Durham University and India A to take his first-class tally to 1188.

He consistently held the innings together during the first part of the season, scoring eight half-centuries in his first ten knocks. He was averaging 68.8 after making 124 and 66 in the win at Headingley.

During the season Lewis passed John Morris's Durham career record of 5,670 first-class runs and now has 6,247 since joining from Essex in 1997.

The award was sponsored by Northern Rock and presented by their advertising director, Dave Henderson.

Lewis also took the leading batsman award, while the bowling prize went to Pakistani paceman Shoaib Akhtar, who was leading wicket-taker in the championship and topped the averages with 34 at 17.05.

Top fielder was Gary Pratt, who also took the Young Player of the Year award after passing 1,000 first-class runs for the first time.

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