The county awards Final word on a 2024 season of wild highs, absurd lows and one illegally oversized bat

The County Championship season dribbled to an end on Sunday afternoon, handshakes taken as early as was polite, while the autumn roared in.

- Tanya Aldred

It was the longest Championship season-stretching from 5 April to 29 September - finishing with Surrey easing to victory with one round to go and Sussex winning Division Two on the final day.

But how quickly things move on. Rod Bransgrove announced the sale of Hampshire to the Delhi Capitals co-owners before the Spin had time to pull the season's trophies out of the Guardian cabinet where they have been gathering dust since last year. So belatedly, and somewhat overshadowed by powerbrokers in important shoes rustling papers in mahogany boardrooms, here are the summer's County Championship awards.

The Mortimer and Whitehouse award for catch of the season

To James Bracey. An incredible match at Cheltenham College in early July finished on a pitch-perfect note as Glamorgan, chasing a world record of 593 to win, faced the last ball with a single needed for victory. The No 11, Jamie McIlroy, had a frantic swing at Ajeet Singh Dale and Bracey, with ungloved hand, leapt like a firecracker behind the stumps and held on before sprinting 50 yards to the boundary in celebration, his teammates a-leaping and a-hollering behind him. The most memorable tie in years.

The Harry Brook award for taking Test cricket in your stride