BEN Cox’s fine season for Worcestershire has been recognised by his peers after being voted part of the Professional Cricketers’ Association team of the year for 2017.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who made his County debut eight years ago last month, was again a model of top-class consistency behind the stumps.

To be chosen from among all the leading keepers is testament to how highly Worcestershire’s PCA representative is regarded by his fellow professionals.

Only the retiring Chris Read of Nottinghamshire bagged more victims in County Championship Division Two than 25-year-old Cox.

Read finished with 53 dismissals, all caught, and Cox a total of 43 with 42 caught and one stumped.

During the season he climbed three places in the County’s all-time list of wicketkeeper dismissals and is now seventh with 239.

Cox also weighed in with crucial runs in the middle order.

He ended with 675 in the Championship at an average of 33.75 including a career-best 124 not out against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Cox won Worcestershire’s prestigious Dick Lygon Award for his contribution on and off the field.

Former Worcestershire overseas player Kyle Abbot and ex-County loan signing Alex Hales were also voted part of the team of the year.

Nottinghamshire all-rounder Samit Patel capped a trophy-laden summer by being voted the NatWest PCA players’ player of the year.

PCA TEAM OF THE YEAR

Hales, Stoneman (Surrey), Ingram (Glamorgan), Sangakkara (Surrey), Patel, Stevens (Kent), Cox, Abbott, Overton (Somerset), Harmer (Essex), Porter (Essex).

Meanwhile, skipper Joe Leach’s superb season saw him finish as the leading wicket-taker in Division Two.

Leach, 26, took 69 at an average of just 19.39 with four five-wicket hauls.

Ed Barnard and Josh Tongue, in his first season of senior cricket, ended with 47 apiece at 25.25 and 25.78 respectively.

Opener Daryl Mitchell finished second highest run-scorer in Division Two.

The 33-year-old hit seven centuries and three fifties in a total of 1,266 runs at an average of 55.04.

Mitchell ended just 26 runs behind Sussex’s Luke Wells (1,292) and only Surrey’s Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara (8) scored more tons in either division.

Joe Clarke (920 at 43.80) and Brett D’Oliveira (891 at 35.64) were eighth and 13th respectively.