Lucy Pearson Photo © AllSport UK

England strike bowler, Lucy Pearson, was last night named the Vodafone Female Player of the Year at the 2000 PCA Awards Dinner, staged at the Albert Hall. This prestigious annual awards ceremony, which was attended by over 1000 people and televised on Sky Sports, saw Pearson collect the first ever Player of the Year award for a female cricketer.

Pearson, now 28, who made her England debut in 1996 against New Zealand, was among three nominees up for this inaugural award. Dawn Holden (England, Nottinghamshire and Thrumpton) and Charlotte Edwards (England, Kent and Invicta) were also nominated.

Lucy said "I was absolutely delighted to have won the Vodafone Female Player of the Year. For me this award represents the culmination of a lot of hard work, both personally and by the team as a whole. I am now looking forward to the World Cup in New Zealand with renewed confidence after our series win against South Africa this summer."

Judges for the award on behalf of Vodafone, which has sponsored the England Women's Cricket team since 1997, included Cricket Correpsondent Sybil Ruscoe and Paul Farbrace, Coach of the England Women's Cricket Team.

Notes for editors

Lucy Pearson (England, Staffordshire and Wolverhampton)

Playing history:
Left-arm medium pace bowler
Worked, coached and played in Australia in 1995
Made her England debut in 1996 in the 3rd Test against New Zealand
A back injury kept her out of the squad the following year
Returned to the squad against Australia in 1998 and twice took their captain's wicket

Awards:
Won the Vodafone Best Bowling Award for the 2000 winter tour to Australia & NZ

Personal history:
Read English at Oxford. Teaches English and PE at Wolverhampton Grammar School
Born 19 February 1972

For further information, please contact Andrea Wiggins, Media Relations Officer, ECB on 020 7432 1272 / 07785527090 or Emily Watkinson at Craigie Taylor (for Vodafone) on 01483 209814

© ECB