SEASON'S BEST: The Cricketer's writers pick their leading lights and most memorable moments of 2018

The Cricketer's HUW TURBERVILL, SAM MORSHEAD and OWEN RILEY select their top players and favourite moments of the 2018 English summer

Clockwise from top left: Somerset and Lancashire tie, Morne Morkel celebrates Surrey's title win, Sam Curran in action for England, Aaron Finch and Alastair Cook marks his farewell century

HUW TURBERVILL

International player of summer: Jos Buttler

Kohli has dominated the stage, like Olivier in The Entertainer. His batting has been imperious, with 593 runs at 59.30, shaking James Anderson off his back (with some luck) and proving he can master English conditions.

One also has to mention Alastair Cook for his extraordinary farewell at The Oval, and James Anderson, for his superb bowling, and becoming the leading seam-bowling wicket-taker in Test history. 

I think I will plump for Jos Buttler, though, averaging 46 in seven Tests since he was recalled. Now vice-captain, he seems very settled and is at last fulfiling his talent. He made vital contributions in five of the matches. His unbeaten, match-winning century against Australia in the ODI at Old Trafford was also one of the greatest of its kind.

International breakthrough act of the summer: Sam Curran

Who else? His batting has been brilliant; his technique is excellent, his hitting bold, his ability to move through the gears a delight, and his adaptability to react to the match situation faultless.

There have even been calls for him to open the batting! His bowling can look innocuous for a couple of deliveries, and then he produces an absolute Jaffa.

County player of the summer (English): Rory Burns

Burns could not have done more for Surrey, as captain leading them to the title, and staking a claim for an England place. The quirk to his technique that people discuss appears nothing, he just looks at midwicket as the bowler runs in, but once the ball is delivered everything is lined up perfectly. He has been prolific. Outstanding.

County player of the summer (overseas): Morne Morkel

The signing of the year. When he still has the capabilities to be shining on the Test stage, Surrey have been the beneficiaries instead. Their game at Scarborough was tight on first innings, but a swift spell from Morkel, his steepling bounce just too much for Yorkshire, redefined the contest.

His 50-plus wickets mark him out as the attack leader, and youngsters like Conor McKerr and the Currans must be learning so much from being around him.

County breakthrough act of the summer: Ollie Pope

Pope looks like a well-oiled run unit. His cover driving is to die for. OK, he may need to adjust his game for Test cricket, but his reliability, fluency and fearlessness in Surrey’s middle order marks him out as a pivotal component of their title-winning machine.

International moment of the summer: Alastair Cook's century

I had an earphone in listening to TMS while sitting in the Bedser Stand, and the noise was seriously loud. It was bedlam. No one knew who was responsible for the overthrows. The applause went on and on, forcing a reluctant Cook to shrug his shoulders and take an encore. I think the public had forgotten how much they loved and appreciated him. 

County moment of the summer: Ian Bell's brilliance

I have taken great pleasure in seeing Bell roll back the years for Warwickshire. A top man. In the Blast as well… people did not see that coming.

^{Ian Bell in action for Birmingham Bears}

SAM MORSHEAD

International player of the summer: Jasprit Bumrah

India's four-pronged seam attack, from Trent Bridge to the Oval, was the real headline act of this summer and Bumrah, with his peculiar action and unusual angles, was the spearhead.

Several English batsmen were hugely uncomfortable against his lines and ability to move the ball both ways at real pace.

Watching KL Rahul at the crease was one of the highlights of the summer from a personal perspective. Sure, for four Tests he struggled to make a start count but there is something majestic about his approach to batting - one part brutality, three parts elegance.

International breakthrough act of the summer: Sam Curran

Is there really any alternative? Curran was as raw as they come when he entered the fray at Headingley yet by the end of the summer he was England's man of the series in a 4-1 victory over the world's best Test team. That, by any conventional standards, ranks as a sensational season.

A nod, though, to Rishabh Pant whose unorthodox approach to both wicketkeeping and Test-match batting was thrilling to watch. Long may he keep the gloves.

County player of the summer (English): Joe Denly

I've backed Rory Burns to the hilt throughout the campaign and it's just and very belated rewards for half a decade of excellence that he has been called into the England squad for Sri Lanka. But there's a man plying his trade not too far down the road who has been just as impressive, across all three formats.

Joe Denly, at 32, enjoyed the sort of renaissance that deserves to be painted all over the roof of a chapel - a bafflingly brilliant season with both bat and ball in first-class, 50-over and T20 cricket. 

In this same single season, he managed a ton and a hat-trick in a single T20 game, a total of 409 Blast runs at a strike rate of 145, 492 at 70.28 in the Royal London One-Day Cup en route to a Lord's final in which he took four wickets, 828 at 34.5 in the Championship, six centuries in all competitions and a haul of 57 victims with his legspin, almost doubling his 14-year career total in five short months.

Extraordinary.

Rory Burns celebrates a century at Worcestershire

County player of the summer (overseas): Aaron Finch

There are plenty of contenders here. Matt Henry was simply irresistible for Kent on their way to Division Two promotion, Usman Khawaja became the first Glamorgan player to score centures in each of his first three matches for the club, Matt Renshaw filled in for Cameron Bancroft at Somerset at short notice and became a fans' favourite with three tons in 11 innings including one before lunch in April against Yorkshire and if we are counting Kolpaks then Morne Morkel was devastating for Surrey (and a huge benefit off the field, imparting his experience to the club's kids, as well as on it).

But for all that, one man's solo carnage tour stands head and shoulders above.

There can't have been many T20 hot streaks like the one enjoyed by Mr Finch in 2018, a right-handed battering ram at the top of the order for county and country.

During his stay at the Oval this year, he clubbed 589 runs in just nine short-form innings, including two centuries and three fifties, at a simply unbelievable strike rate of 182.35. Yes, it's 'only' T20 but these explosive knocks came against decent white-ball attacks and, moreover, they were absolutely relentless. It is nigh-on impossible to score that quickly over a sustained period of time unless you are at least in part superhuman. 

It's unlikely we'll see a season like it again for some time.

International moment of the summer: Alastair Cook goes to 100 at the Oval

I can't imagine anyone else will choose anything else. This was an "I was there" moment - thousands of fans refusing to stop applauding. The noise was cacophonous all day. The experience unforgettable.

County moment of the summer: Lancashire's tie at Somerset

There could be cases made for Surrey's title win at Worcester, or that epic finish against Essex. For Worcestershire's victory on Finals Day or the emotional goodbyes of messrs Trott and Collingwood, or Yorkshire's remarkable comeback at Chelmsford.

For Liam Trevaskis's daft last over against Lancashire Lightning, for that Roses spectacular through the rain in the Blast, for Liam Livingstone batting with a shin pad as a thumb guard, for Peter Siddle bowling in a beanie and Graham Onions warming up in his pants.

For Durham winning after following on, for Durham being bowled out for 61 and 66 on the same day.

For Delray Rawlins' Exocet on drive, for Ian Bell's every lofted six over wide mid-off.

But what stands out above it all is how many eyes were glued to a single static camera at Taunton as Somerset and Lancs played out that ludicrous tie; the day County Championship news started trending on Twitter and all the drama of the competition was being played out in real time, for free, on the internet.

The fact Lancashire's celebrations, and the tie-ing catch itself, all took place off-camera, while we were treated to a despondent Jack Leach and the umpires removing the bails, only added to the captivating madness of it all. Cricket, hey, bloody hell.

^{Cook finished his Test career with a flourish}

OWEN RILEY

International player of the summer: Mohammad Abbas

Let’s roll back to the beginning of the Test summer at Lord’s, where a vibrant Pakistan ran through England. Mohammad Abbas (8-64) bowled beautifully in St John’s Wood as Micky Arthur’s men claimed a nine-wicket victory. 

Abbas continued that form for Leicestershire, taking 50 Championship wickets including match figures of 10-52 as Durham lost 20 wickets inside two sessions.

Virat Kohli’s efforts, it goes without saying, were supreme. To watch him enter the ring with James Anderson on English soil again made for captivating theatre. A duel for the ages. A monkey off the back for Virat, but Jimmy didn’t deserve to go wicketless against the India captain.

International breakthrough act of the summer: Sam Curran

It is a tough ask to stand out in an allrounder quartet that includes Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Chris Woakes, but Curran has done just that after a breakout summer on the Test stage. Bold with the bat. Tricky with the ball. He’s been brilliant to watch.

County player of the summer (English): Rory Burns

Has to be the Surrey skipper who led his county to 10 straight victories and the Championship title, scoring 1,359 runs along they way, earning him a well-deserved England call-up. Sri Lanka awaits…

County player of the summer (overseas): Matt Henry

What a return Kent have got from New Zealander. Henry, spearheading the attack, took 75 wickets at 15.48 as Kent fired their way into Division One.

Up a division, down at Taunton, Matt Renshaw’s stint may have been brief - cut short by a broken finger - but the Australia opener made a sizeable impression, hitting a century against Worcestershire on debut. The batsman - who replaced Cameron Bancroft as the club’s overseas player - averaged 51.30 in six matches, hitting three hundreds and one fifty with some magnificent strokeplay.

County breakthrough act of the summer: Pat Brown

If his wicket haul hadn’t already pricked ears, then 20-year-old Brown made sure to make a lot of noise on Finals Day at Edgbaston. The Worcester University student took 4-21 against Lancashire in the semi-final before sending down a miserly four-over spell - giving up just 15 runs - in the final against Sussex.

With 31 wickets at 13.35 in the competition, only Alfonso Thomas (33 for Somerset, 2010) has taken more in a Blast campaign.

His efforts have earned him high praise with England’s Anderson saying: "He looks as good as anyone I've seen in T20 cricket."

International moment of the summer: Alastair Cook’s hundred at The Oval

How good was that? To be at any day of the fifth Test felt special, but for those who were there to see Cook raise the Gray-Nicolls one last time for England, that moment will live long in the memory.

It will take a while for the eyes to adjust to an England scorecard with AN Cook at the top of it…

County moment of the summer: Finals Day

Always an enthralling showpiece and this year Worcestershire – underdogs, making their maiden Finals Day appearance – went and smashed it out the park. Bravo.

I second Huw’s sentiments regarding Ian Bell. Lots of fine cricketers are retiring this summer. At the time of writing, however, Marcus Trescothick has just signed a one-year contract extension with Somerset. Lovely stuff.